


Beginnings of the Brotherhood

by Adirastts



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Abandoned Child, Adira is raised by monks, Adira's childhood, Adopted Siblings, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brotherhood, Brotherhood adventures, Bullying, Canon Divergent, Child Neglect, Comfort, Dark Kingdom, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hector - Freeform, Hector's childhood, Home Invasion, King! Quirin, Nightmares, Original characters but they don't get too in the way, Parent Death, Princess! Varian's mom, Queen! Varian's mom, Quirin's childhood, Sibling Cuddles, Sick! Adira, Sick! Hector, TTS, Teen! Brotherhood, The Brotherhood - Freeform, The Tangled Series, Young Warriors, abandoned baby hector, adira - Freeform, fluff and angst with happy endings, kid! adira, kid! brotherhood (TTS), kid! hector, kid! quirin, kid! varian's mom, quirin - Freeform, rapunzel's tangled adventure - Freeform, teen! adira, teen! hector, teen! quirin, teen! varian's mom, toddler! hector, tts adira, tts hector, tts quirin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 66,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24387124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adirastts/pseuds/Adirastts
Summary: Quirin, the son of the head knight of the dark kingdom, becomes orphaned at eight years old. King Edmund promises his most loyal knight to take care of his son as his last dying wish, providing Quirin with a room of his own in the dark kingdom. Not too long after, Edmund finds a young girl alone in the cold of winter who claims to be a survivor of the attack on the Jingshen Temple. The girl, Adira, is also taken under Edmund's care and becomes the adopted sister of Quirin. Nearly a year after the two became siblings, an abandoned child is found living in the dark kingdom's landfill and is sneaked into the castle under the two siblings' care. After convincing King Edmund to provide for yet another child, the responsible elder, eccentric sister, and rambunctious little brother start their crazy adventures.
Relationships: Adira/Hailei, Adira/OC, Edmund/Eugene Fitzherbert's Mother (Disney: Tangled), Quirin/Lauralie, Quirin/Laurie, Quirin/Varian's Mother (Disney)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 31





	1. Family (Part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: this is the first time I've ever posted something on here, therefore I'm currently the equivalent of a confused old lady.  
> These are mainly just fun drabbles, but I might get more into it in the future. The timeline might be a bit scattered too.  
> I changed somethings up a bit from the show, but the writers left out too much information about the brotherhood sooo I'll fill it in with the next best thing. I think the only big change is the royal family:  
> \- Varian's mom, who I refer to as Laurie/Lauralie, is the daughter of Edmund and therefore the princess of the dark kingdom. To avoid making things weird since Quirin starts liking her and eventually marries her, I made King Edmund take role as less of a dad and more of a trainer/teacher who provides them their needs so they aren't seen as siblings. Gross.  
> \- ^Same thing goes for Princess Hailei, a refugee of the Huo Empire that went under attack by the same army that invaded Adira's home temple. Adira and Hailei become love intrests over time, so Hailei is presented more as Laurie's sister since she is also royalty.  
> \- I am calling Eugene's mom Ophelia, she is around 25 years old (in the beginning when Quirin is 8). I guess she just has Eugene a lot later than Laurie? I mean... it happens I guess. Don't think about any of this too much.  
> \- Edmund is around 26 when Quirin is adopted.  
> \- Adira is one year younger than Quirin, Hailei and Laurie are both two years younger than Quirin, and Hector is a whopping six years younger than Quirin. Yay for baby Hector!
> 
> I'll put the ages at the top of every chapter so you don't get too confused if I scramble the times they take place:  
> Edmund: 26  
> Ophelia: 25  
> Quirin: 8  
> Adira: 7  
> Laurie and Hailei*: 6  
> Hector*: 2  
> *= Doesn't appear in this chapter

Quirin’s POV:

I’ve never been one to be envious. Since I could remember, I’ve always been content with what I have. I wake up and get things done with no complaints or questioning, only to go to sleep and perform exactly as I did the previous day. No whining, no self-pity, no pondering on change, nothing.

My mother died shortly after I was born, leaving the house to just my father and I. Once my father thought I was old enough to keep the house clean, manage the garden, run errands, and make dinner, he left to serve as a knight as he did before I was born. A few years ago he was promoted to head knight, taking his position very seriously. Unfortunately for me, this meant that I only ever saw him a few times a week for dinner… if I was lucky. After a few hours of schooling, I spend my days doing the same time-consuming tasks to keep the house from falling into shambles. There is no excitement, nothing new, nothing dangerous, no time for play, and no one around but myself. 

But although I see myself as one who lacks envy, every once and awhile when I stay up later than usual to wait for my father to come home, I look outside toward the Dark Kingdom’s incredible night sky and feel nothing but envy toward the stars. Why? Because they are all connected. The Dark Kingdom’s schooling system takes astronomy very seriously considering where we live and our love for the moon, so I’ve learned a thing or two about the stars as well. There are so many constellations -eighty-eight, to be exact- that surround the night sky. Each star has other stars to connect to to make something special; I however, have nothing of the sort. 

I must say there is one star that I find comfort in. It’s very prominent compared to most of the other stars, and most importantly: It’s all alone. If you look at it long enough, you’d see a slight green glow to it too. I can’t help but feel a connection to this star, as if it feels the same way I feel… as if it feels alone and envious of all the stars around it.

But tonight my distracted feelings toward the stars started to fade as the clock struck midnight.

Father was supposed to be home this morning.

I debated going to bed, because there was a chance he was late from his return from the recurring battles against the Qiangda warriors and I didn’t want to be tired during school tomorrow. Although, something within me felt like something was wrong, and therefore I stayed awake and anxious. It took nearly three more hours of silently waiting for any sign of my father’s arrival for me to finally give up and give into sleep.  
Unfortunately, my slumber was shortened by a loud knock at the door around 6am. Father didn’t knock; It wasn’t him.

I didn’t know exactly who I was expecting... a neighbor, a teacher, a beggar… however, the king surely wasn’t one of my guesses. His incredibly tall structure made it hard for me to see him properly, but when I got a chance to examine his face, it was easy to see that something terrible had happened.

“Your majesty! How can I help you?” I say, giving a partial bow.

“Son, I have… forlorn news.” He started, avoiding eye contact with me by looking at my feet.

“Oh?” I try to say calmly, but you could hear the faint shake in my voice.

“Your brave father claimed victory with the last battle against the Qiandga warriors… but in exchange for his life.” The king’s voice cracked at the last word, he seemed greatly upset.

I don’t know why the sadness stopped as soon as the death of my father was confirmed, but the rapid heartbeat and anxious tingling my body had felt since yesterday had finally come to a stop. I felt nothing. Although I lacked the emotions that the man in front of me held, I still showed sadness on my face, looking down at the ground as well. I didn’t know how long the silence was until the king spoke again. “I know you need time to grieve, but I came here today to tell you about your father’s dying wish.” He said, kneeling down to match my height more. He grabbed my shoulders, and I looked up at him to show him he has my full attention. “Your father wanted me to make sure you were well taken care of, and that I train you to someday be as brave of a warrior as he… once was.” He continued, but my mind was still processing what was going on. King Edmund cleared his throat once he saw my eyes look around, showing my confusion. “Quirin, brave child, you will live in the castle along with my family and staff where you can be safe and provided for. When the day comes, I will personally train you to become a warrior much like your father.” He further explained. I made eye contact with him, and before I knew it he had pulled me into a hug. I didn’t know what to do right away, as my father never personally hugged me or showed any emotion toward me. I did however mimic what I’d see other children do with their parents when they were comforted out in public, and hugged him back with a look of grief on my face. He kept telling me things like “It’s alright, son” and “It’ll be okay” as I let tears slide down my face. Eventually, I looked past the man’s shoulder and saw none other than the lonely star.

Nothing changed, just as alone as before.

____________________________________________

I was to only bring my personal items besides extra clothes, as I would be provided with food, clothing, and other supplies from the castle’s own stock. In the end, I had decided to only bring my books and my mother’s locket that consisted of a tiny family portrait. I also witnessed some knights rummaging through my father’s storage chests, they must have taken all his armor and weapons to avoid theft of the dark knight weaponry and attire.

The ride to the castle was only around twenty minutes, but it felt like forever as the presence was gloomy from the grieving king and knights. I pondered over the fact that my father had spent more time with these men around me than he had with his own son. Much like the lonely green star, I almost envied the men around me. I would have laughed if it were to not be so inappropriate to do so.

Since I brought so little, I carried my own belongings as I followed the king to my room. He promised to give me a tour of the castle after dinner, but until then he left me alone in my new room. The room was much bigger than my old bedroom, and quite frankly almost the size of my entire house. There was a queen size bed in the center with two windows on each side of the bed, giving him a perfect view of the royal gardens in one window, and the little green star in the other. Although the room had a dresser, a desk, and a bookshelf, I couldn’t help but think that two other people could easily move in here as well without feeling cramped. I placed my books on the partially filled bookshelf, reading the titles of the ones already stored. “The History of the Moonstone… 88 Constellations and Counting… 99 Plants to Grow With No Sunlight Before You Die… Basics of Learning Norwegian… 900 Years of Dark Kingdom Culture… The Tales of Flynnigan Rider Vol. 1, 2, and 3... Royal Etiquette…” I read aloud, amused by the amount of new books now in my possession. I placed my mother's locket in my right bedside table’s drawer, and picked up a book titled ‘1000 Moon Facts To Tell Your Friends’ to keep me busy before dinner.


	2. Family (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quirin, the son of the head knight of the dark kingdom, becomes orphaned at eight years old. King Edmund promises his most loyal knight to take care of his son as his last dying wish, providing Quirin with a room of his own in the dark kingdom. Not too long after, Edmund finds a young girl alone in the cold of winter who claims to be a survivor of the attack on the Jingshen Temple. The girl, Adira, is also taken under Edmund's care and becomes the adopted sister of Quirin. Nearly a year after the two became siblings, an abandoned child is found living in the dark kingdom's landfill and is sneaked into the castle under the two siblings' care. After convincing King Edmund to provide for yet another child, the responsible elder, eccentric sister, and rambunctious little brother start their crazy adventures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edmund: 26  
> Ophelia: 25  
> Quirin: 8  
> Adira: 7  
> Laurie and Hailei: 6  
> Hector: 2

Adira’s POV:

As The Buddha once said, “there is a path leading to a complete deliverance from suffering.”

My vinaya master, Master Gen, had really focused on enforcing this message to me for the past month, as I couldn’t go a day without hearing it. Although most lessons come easy to me, I have yet to wrap my head around this message wholeheartedly. This might be due to the fact that I have only been alive for seven years, and haven’t truly suffered with anything before. At the Jingshen Temple I am always well fed, I have a supporting community, I am well protected from harm, I get plenty of playtime everyday, and I sleep with a roof over my head. Every day is like the other... get up, practice meditation with the other children, eat, play, listen to my teachers for a good hour, meditate again, practice tae kwon do with Master Jian, pull pranks on the other masters with Master Gen, eat again, practice yoga near the river, bathe, sleep. I have nothing that bothers me and nothing to improve in my life, so therefore I am completely content... well, if you’re not counting the desires that I have deep down for change and chaos. I’d like to say I don’t wish for a chaotic life, but once every blue moon I can’t help but feel discomfort with the stillness and predictability of my home temple. 

__________________________________

“Family is not about blood, it is about who is willing to hold your hand when you need it the most.” Master Gen quoted as he poured me a cup of tea. We sat underneath the shade, settling down after causing mischief amongst the other monks. “Master Gen, what would be the difference between family and friends?” I asked after my first sip of tea. He hummed in approval of my question, and began to pour a cup of tea of his own. “Well young one, family, especially in a community like ours, is chosen. They are the people who you give your upmost trust and unconditional love to, even in times of darkness. Friends, however, lie on the walls that guard the family relationships you obtain. Some say the closest family you have are the ones you address by their full title in trade for shorter ones.” He replied, sipping his tea along with me. I nodded my head and looked down into my lap to search for more questions after pondering what had already been said. “If I find my family through their reactions to my suffering, and I haven’t experienced suffering, then how will I know who my family is?” I question, struggling to find an answer of my own.

“Adira, young one, I knew this question would soon arise. I believe it is time for you to become aware of your next destiny." He sighed, then continued "Your time will come where you will face suffering for the first time, and you will be alone.” He started, and I look up to meet his eyes due to shock of his unexpected response. “I see a temporary end of peace in our near futures, and you will need to prepare with the lessons you have obtained over time. Your patience will be tested, your bravery will be tested, and your strength will be tested.” He continued, and for what seemed to be the first time in forever, I felt a burning sensation down my neck that would be none other than fear itself.

“I see a great disturbance in our near future. Adira, it is your destiny to survive this great disturbance and find your family. The rest of your path will start to form a steadier stream once that is accomplished, but until then you will face suffering that will change your perspective forever. However, once you face this suffering, it is important for you to remember that there is a path leading to a complete deliverance from suffering. That path is family.” He finished, sipping his tea in silence with his eyes softly shut while waiting for me to ponder on his news.

It was hard for me to process a future that I have never experienced before.

“What must I do to survive this great disturbance? Will you guide me after?” I finally decide to ask, but he remained still with his eyes closed. He took a few seconds longer than expected to respond. “No, young one. I cannot come with you on your next journey that this disturbance will bring.” His voice almost sounded disappointed, a voice I have never heard from him before. “But-“ 

“You will survive by finding me at the far exit of the garden when the disturbance finds its way to our temples. I will await you there, but I cannot come with you.” He said, finding his peace and firmness in his voice again. My mouth now gaped open slightly, and I started to get a dull ache in my head. I have yet to fully understand what exactly was coming, but from a life of complete peace and comfortable living, any devastation seemed too terrible to comprehend. I closed my mouth and gulped loudly.

“Hope is the one thing stronger than fear.” Master Gen said in a loving manner, getting up to move to the other side of the table in order to kneel down next to me. He grasped my two hands to look into my eyes. “You, Adira, are meant for greatness. You will become confident, brave, strong, and loyal to your destined family. Never stop having hope for yourself and your future.” 

And hope is all I could rely on over the next few weeks.

—————————————————

Something within me knew today would be the last day of my oblivion to suffering. If I had the option, I took longer times with each activity. Something within me told me to walk a bit slower around the temples, to hold and release my breaths during mediation a bit longer, to sip my tea slower, and to hold my poses and stretch deeper during yoga until my body couldn’t handle it anymore. The feeling of disaster lingered in the air, and from what I’ve seen by looking around, I was the only one who felt it. When the children started to get ready for their second daily meal, I strayed away from the path and headed toward the garden. It was like my mind had been taken over, and my feet wanted to move nowhere else but toward the dreaded path I knew I needed to face. I didn’t even know what the disaster was, but I knew it was time.

Chanting. I heard the faint sound of chanting. Or maybe it wasn’t chanting... but a mix of yelling and screaming and hollering. I didn’t know how many men were making such noises, but the closer the got, the more I realized just how many of them there were. I stepped out from the garden despite my feet and mind begging me to keep going toward the exit, and started to hear the accompany of running horses along with the men. If you searched for it hard enough, you could hear the distressed yelling of the other monks trying to get the children to safety.

We were being invaded.

Most importantly, we were being invaded by the current most powerful army there is: the Qiandga warriors. They have raided thousands of cities and villages, hundreds of temples, and dozens of small kingdoms over the past two centuries. I had not put too much worry into the idea of being raided by them, as I had thought they were so far from our temples, but I must have underestimated how far they could travel.

The warriors set flame to any flammable items they could find, statues and benches were thrown around and broken, and strong doorways were being busted down in attempt to steal the treasures within. Although an urge within me wanted to fight out of anger from the destruction of my beloved home, a stronger urge called to run toward the garden’s exit to find Master Gen.

It didn’t take me long to run through the garden and find the exit. Although the garden was far from the main temple, I could still hear yelling as if it were in the room next door. Master Gen awaited me next to a horse. He held a look of both sadness and care in his eyes. When I spotted him, I didn’t hesitate to run into his arms. He held me in silence for a few seconds before he hastily spoke. “Adira, young one, we haven’t much time- I need you to look at me.” He said as he knelt down and grabbed my shoulders. “Follow the green star, and you will eventually find your next destiny.” He pointed into the sky at the prominent star, alone compared to the other stars. The lonely star had a green hue to it, and couldn’t be mistaken for any other. He started to remove an additional reddish-orange wrap from his clothing, and tied it around my waist. “Keep this. Remember all that I’ve taught you.” He continued, picking me up and placing me atop the horse. “Fusang knows to follow the path fairly well, and will only need very little guidance. There is food and money in the bags attached to the saddle. I do not have much time left. Be wise, be brave, and be hopeful, Adira.” He said as the horse started for departure.  
“But Master Gen!” I objected, only to have him give me a sad smile in return before he turned to head back to the temples. The horse picked up its pace, and as the night grew, I became more and more alone.

______________________________________

I have counted 140 days and 141 nights since I had left the Jingshen Temple. When I was too far from welcoming towns or kingdoms, I resorted to hunting despite my practices of vegetarianism that I’ve held since birth. I’ve eaten rabbits and birds and some small animals that I couldn’t even name, but that gave me more hope because that meant I was getting farther from my old home and closer to my new one... wherever that may be. The newest challenge that I’ve started to face however, is the growing cold and snow that this new region has. We had snow during our winters, but this region’s winter had more of a bite to it, the kind that made you feel like you were being pinched or branded. It wasn’t long before my horse couldn’t take it anymore, and simply stopped walking. No matter what I tried, the stubborn horse stood it’s ground, and even began to lay down after many attempts to get him to move. “Come on, Fusang!” I begged as my teeth chattered. The wind started picking up, and snow started to fall again. Eventually, I detached one of the saddle bags to carry, and took off on my own. It was hard to see through the snow falling in the sky, but the green star still shined bright, begging for me to continue following it. I kept marching through the snow before my body nearly gave out, and I huddled next to a tree for support as I wrapped myself in my new coat that I had bought a month ago from a very welcoming kingdom. Thankfully, the snow and wind died down as I slept against the tree’s rough bark.

________________________________________________________________

The next two days took the same pattern of walking and stopping, but the winter’s storms only grew stronger and more violent. It felt as if the wind was pulling me away from my path ahead of me, fighting against me and blocking my way. I would have kept fighting against it and moving forward if it weren’t for the sound of yelling men in the distance. I couldn’t make out what they were saying from the wind and distance between us, but I knew they were getting closer and closer. “LOAD THE BEAR INTO THE WAGON!” One man ordered, the sound of horses also making their way into my ears. “WAIT I THINK I SEE SOMETHING, REMAIN WHERE YOU STAND WHILE I INVESTIGATE.” The same man yelled back at the other men. The man's figure came closer, and if it wasn’t already so cold outside, I’d probably still be shivering from the fear of being this man's next hunt on accident. The man finally made his way into my sight, and as soon as he saw I was a small girl, his face changed from stern and focused to surprised. “Well, hello there young lady.” He called out, but I couldn’t find my words. He came closer, and I was able to see more of his features. The man was very big, easily the biggest man I’ve ever seen. He was tall and muscular and was suited up in black armor along with a giant cape... boy did that cape look warm right now. “Are you alright? Where are you parents?” He asked, curious at my lack of response from his earlier greeting. “I-I-I don’t have parents. My-my temple was invaded months ago. I-I-I’m supposed t-to follow the green star.” I chattered through my teeth, and the large man stepped off his horse and made his way near me. “You mean that green star?” He said with a crooked eyebrow as he pointed right above us. I looked up, and there it was shining right above me. “Yes sir.” I nodded, and held myself tighter as the winds grew stronger. He started removing his cape and said “here, you’re freezing” as he wrapped it around me. I gladly took the offer and thanked him.

“Where are you from? Who invaded you?” He said, kneeling down to me to match my height a bit better, but he still towered over me. “I’m from the Jingshen Temple, sir. We were invaded by the Qiandga warriors. I left about five months ago.” I said, warming up under his cape. As soon as I said the name of the invaders, he looked angry, but not toward me. “Ah yes, we’ve had a few of them try and invade nearby villages a few months ago. Luckily they got the idea that we are not ones to mess with.” He said, but then gave me a sad expression. “I’m terribly sorry to hear that young lady. Did you have anyone traveling with you?” he asked with pity in his voice. “No sir, I had a horse, but she wouldn’t go any further a few days ago so I had to leave her.” I replied back, trying to hide any sounds of sadness in my voice to appear strong and to avoid his pity.

He nodded and sat in silence as he looked at the ground, thinking. Eventually, he looked a bit surprised at himself. “Oh where are my manners, I haven’t asked for your name!” He says, chuckling a bit. “My name is Adira.” I say as I bow to him with my hands together. He looks a bit surprised at my greeting but smiles and returns the gesture. “Nice to meet you, Adira, I am Edmund, King of the Dark Kingdom.” He introduces himself in return, and my eyes widen. “I’ve never met a king before.” I say, and he just laughs and starts to stand. “Well, now you have, little one... would you like to come with my knights and I back to the castle? You don’t have to stay if you don’t find yourself as at home as you’d like, but I have the space if you’d like to. I care for a young boy who had also lost his family to the Qiandga warriors... I'm sure he could use the company.” He smiled and held his held out. I smiled in return and grabbed the large man’s hand. “Thank you, your majesty.” I replied.

And so he loaded me onto the wagon where he sat next to me, guiding his horse back toward the mysterious castle that I could barely make out in the distance. His men followed behind not too far, and I sat in silence as I let my peace try and find its way back into my mind.

I look down at the wrap around my waist that Master Gen had given me, and gave a sigh of relief.  
'I hope I'm where I'm meant to be, Master.' I thought.


	3. Family (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quirin, the son of the head knight of the dark kingdom, becomes orphaned at eight years old. King Edmund promises his most loyal knight to take care of his son as his last dying wish, providing Quirin with a room of his own in the dark kingdom. Not too long after, Edmund finds a young girl alone in the cold of winter who claims to be a survivor of the attack on the Jingshen Temple. The girl, Adira, is also taken under Edmund's care and becomes the adopted sister of Quirin. Nearly a year after the two became siblings, an abandoned child is found living in the dark kingdom's landfill and is sneaked into the castle under the two siblings' care. After convincing King Edmund to provide for yet another child, the responsible elder, eccentric sister, and rambunctious little brother start their crazy adventures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter focuses on establishing Adira and Quirin's relationship, but Hector is coming soon!  
> Edmund: 26  
> Ophelia: 25  
> Quirin: 8  
> Adira: 7  
> Laurie and Hailei: 6  
> Hector: 2

Quirin's POV:

For the past five months of living in the castle, I found the lack of chores and things to do... uncomfortable. I've already headed back to school two weeks after moving and taking some time to grieve my father's death, but after returning from school everyday I have nothing to do but read or sit and stare at the wall. However, I will say that I recently convinced the king to let me have my own patch of land in the royal garden to grow anything of my choosing, so that keeps me busy for another hour or so. Even if it only provides me with a small amount of busy work, the relaxation of caring for something and watching it grow over time really does help tremendously. I've also tried to convince the king to start his training with me to help the boredom, but he refuses to start training with me until I turn ten. The thought of doing nothing but going to school, reading, and gardening for another one and a half years makes me dizzy.

I tried to help the maids around the castle by offering to help them clean as well, but every time they just shake their heads, smile, and pat my head as they say "Such a sweet boy, but go be a kid and play." No matter how I respectfully protest at their responses, they still always say no. I once purposefully made a mess of my room only to clean it up right after, but even that only kept me occupied for thirty minutes. Furthermore, there are no kids to play with. There are only a few maid's children, and they are all too young or too old to "play" with me. I don't have any close enough school friends because I am always too focused on my work to talk to others, so that's out of the question as well. There is Princess Lauralie, who is only two years younger than me, but I don't talk to her too often. I would like to get to know her more since I do have quite the liking toward her, and she does always give me a flirtatious wave and smile every time I pass by her, but she seems too busy with her own lessons and I don't think it would be appropriate for a commoner like me to be talking to the king's daughter. Every once in a while I'll even see her watching me from her room's window as I garden, and once she stopped by to talk to me while I was reading against a tree. She's a sweet girl, and she's awfully pretty, but we just don't see each other enough to do kid things like running around and playing together. 

Luckily, today after I got back from school and the gardens, my position of loneliness seemed to change.

My reading was interrupted by a knock at my door, and I set aside the book to open it and greet whoever needed me. I opened the door to see King Edmund, smiling down at me, "Hello dear boy, I have some news you might have a liking to." He says. In shock, I bow my head, "Greetings your majesty, what news do you have?"

"How would you feel about having a sister?" He offered with excitement, and my head shot up at him with a look of both surprise and confusion. 

"A sister? what do you mean your majesty?" I eagerly questioned.

"While some of the knights and I were out hunting in the eastern woods, we found a young girl around your age who had runaway from a Qiandga invasion. She comes from the Jingshien Temples that lie outside of the Qing Dynasty! Isn't that something! She's been traveling alone with nothing but a horse! Ha!" He barked out a laugh at the amazement of that idea, and looked back at me. "She seems nice, and you seem lonely." He pointed at me with a smirk. I blushed, his ability to catch things despite his lack of interaction with others always seemed to impress me. I wouldn't have known this about him if he wasn't so verbal about his observations.

"I agree that sounds very impressive. I would be honored to have a sister, your highness." I awkwardly responded, still unsure on how to interact with him. The girl did seem interesting, and it sounds like she has a similar situation to mine -although hers sounds way more extreme- so she probably is in need of company as well. Honestly, the thought of having someone else my age, especially a sibling -something I've never had before- sounded like a blessing in my lonely situation. 

"Great! She is being cleaned up by some of the maids right now... you will meet her at dinner! Also, I hope you don't mind having a room mate! I'm having her stay in here with you, the other rooms are much smaller since they are designed for the castle staff... I thought it would be unfair for one to get a much better quality room than the other. Her bed and other furniture will make its way up here in an hour or so, I'm excited for you!" He said, slapping a hand onto my shoulder. I nervously laughed at the interaction, and bowed my head once more as I said "Thank you your majesty!" 

He gave a cheerful "Anytime son! Be nice to your new sister!" joking at the end, and thankfully leaving. I loved King Edmund, but boy was it hard for me to interact with him. I returned the goodbye and shut the door, turning around. 'I'm going to have a sister?' I thought, trying to take that information in. I tried picturing what that might look like, but it was hard from the lack of information I was given. Even if she was around my age, was she older or younger? What was her name? What was she like? If she traveled such a far distance all by herself, she must have been pretty strong and independent. I wondered if she liked reading or gardening like me, but if she came from a temple she might have had different pass times. I didn't know much about temples or what the people who lived there did, but the opportunity to learn about it from her excited me.

I managed to clean untouched spots of my already-very-clean room, and helped arrange the furniture when it arrived. The time to eat in the dining hall came closer, so I cleaned myself up and started to head down. King Edmund found me as I made my way through the halls, and told me to follow him so he could introduce me to the girl and I could lead her down to the dining hall. I anxiously followed him to the downstairs area that knights went to when injured, listening to him proudly babble on about his day. He then stopped to open one of the rooms, and gestured for me to come inside. A girl, slightly smaller than I was, sat on a table facing the other way as one of the maids finished up brushing her white hair. Once the maid saw we had arrived, she backed away and started to place worn-down clothes in a basket. "Wait! not the wrap please!" The girl anxiously pointed toward the reddish-orange fabric. The maid hesitated, but handed it to the girl and let her tie it around her waist. The girl calmly thanked her, and turned at the sound of King Edmund clearing his throat. "Hello dear, did they take care of you well?" He asked, referring to the maids. It was obvious that she had just been cleaned up, especially from the look of her previous worn down clothes in the basket. She bowed her head with her eyes closed while responding with "Yes your highness, thank you." She seemed pretty calm and collected, and I noted how impressive her perfect posture was. She held such a... wise presence to her despite her obvious young age. The girl lightly stepped off the table and made her way toward the king and I. "Adira, this is your new brother, Quirin. Quirin, this is your new sister, Adira. Quirin will show you around and help you feel at home." He said happily, gesturing us to one another. She bowed to me calmly with her hands together, "It is nice to meet you, Quirin." I blushed at the different gesture, but did the same back to her. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well." She smiled at my response and looked back at the king for him to give us some sort of instruction on what to do next. "Well I'm sure you two can get to know each other more at dinner. Quirin, please lead her to the dining hall." he ordered. "Yes your majesty, thank you." I nodded, smiled at Adira, and gestured her to follow me. 

As we made our way down the hall, we held an awkward silence until she started to speak up. "So when did you move here?" She asked. I widened my eyes at the break of the awkward silence, "Oh! Uh, I came here about five months ago. My uh... my father passed while in battle and the king promised to take care of me." Shoot. That was too personal. I wondered if that made the awkwardness worse, but she didn't seem to change her calm expression. "What about your mother? If you don't mind me asking." She said, no sign of disturbance in my answer. "Oh I don't mind! She passed not long after I was born, I don't really remember her." I responded, still anxious on if I was making things too personal for just meeting her. She hummed in response as she nodded her head, "I was raised by monks, we don't really have parents there... so I guess I don't really know my mom either." She gave a soft laugh at the end, and my face started to slightly flush red. "Oh." I said, not pitiful nor amused. Do I... say sorry? She seemed content with her statement, so I stayed silent as I debated what to say. She broke the silence, "Do you think they could get me something different to wear tomorrow? I'm not a fan of... clothes like these." looking down at her dress. It wasn't too girly, but I had a sense that the dress and shoes felt too feminine to her. She wore a maroon long sleeve dress that had floral stitching scattered at the torso and sleeve ends, which didn't resemble much of the clothing I saw being thrown into a basket earlier. "I think we could find you something if you talk to the seamstresses here. Maybe I can find one after dinner." I answered, relaxing a bit more at the subject change. She nodded, and continued to look at the windows and artwork of the hallway. "It's very different here than from my home. It's very beautiful, tranquil even, but... dark." She laughed a bit, referencing to the name of the kingdom. "Yeah, we don't get much sun around here. Daylight is still very gloomy but we do get some stronger daylight from May to July." I chuckled softly in return. She nodded slowly, now looking ahead of her. 

We eventually met the large doors that lead to the dining hall. I held the door open for Adira and followed her inside. "So this is the dining hall, we grab food from the stands over there-" I pointed at the stands toward the right side of the room "-And I usually sit at the tables on the far left. That's where the other children eat, but I don't really talk to them all that much." I shrugged, walking toward the stands to start getting food. I grabbed a fair amount of food for an eight-year-old boy: some mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, and some pork. Adira however, got enough food to feed an army. She placed two corn cobs on her tray, two scoops of mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, three slices or bread, and two apples. If we hadn't come in after everyone had already gotten their fixings of food, I would have felt the need to tell her to be careful on leaving some for the others. However, I wasn't sure how hungry she might have been from her long journey. 

She followed me to the table where the children had spaced out from one another. The three older teenage girls talked about their work they endured for the day on one far side of the table, and two children around the age of five sat on the other end silently. Adira sat across from me and started digging into her food, still mannered to some degree but far from the manners I've read about in the 'Royal Etiquette' book I found on my shelf a few months ago. She held good posture -if you're not counting sitting crisscross on the benches- and didn't smack, but did eat too much at once in such a fast manner. I also noticed she didn't have a fork to eat her peas and carrots with, but before I could ask if she needed one, she spoke up, mouth still somewhat full, "Do you know where the chopsticks are?" finally swallowing afterward. I looked at her with confusion and tilted my head. "The what?" I asked, and she pointed to her peas and carrots. "For these? Chopsticks to eat with?" She continued, giving me a confused look back. I picked up my fork and showed it to her, "Do you mean this?" I questioned. Maybe she called it something different from where she lived. She shook her head. "I don't know what that's for, but chopsticks as in the thing you use to pick up your food." She did a little pinching gesture with her hands. At this point I was completely lost, but picked up some peas and carrots with my fork. "I think we use something different, this is a fork... you pick the food up and-" I took a small bite and swallowed. "Eat it as if you would with a spoon." I said, and she raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Oh." she responded simply, then looked back at her plate. "I'll go get you one..." I say as I get up, and she didn't protest as she continued to look at the study the fork on my tray.

I came back and handed her the fork, and she played around with the peas and carrots for a few seconds before giving it a try. After swallowing, she finally spoke, "So... you don't have any chopsticks here? Like at all?" I smiled at her with slight perplexion. "Nope, not that I know of, I'm sorry." I said, ending my response with a bit of pity. The girl would probably face some degree of culture shock as time went by, which must be hard after not having her home available to return to at all. She shrugged, brushing off the sorry I tried to send her way. "It's whatever. Very interesting, I will admit." She laughed under her breath. I smiled and laughed back at her comment, and continued to eat the rest of my food.

"So... what did you like to do for fun back home? If you don't mind me asking." I asked curiously as she moved on to her two apples. She shook her head, "I don't mind. I mainly did the same stuff everyday... I ate, meditated, played with the other children, did yoga and Tae Kwon Do with some of the teachers, ate and meditated again, had lessons with my Master, slept, and so on." "Wow, I wish I got to keep that busy. I've been pretty bored here since I've moved into the castle since I don't really know anybody." I said, still wanting to kick myself for giving too much information and possibly killing the mood. She looked back up at me from her tray, "What did you do before you moved here?" She asked, and I sighed and looked back down. "Well, nothing too exciting back then either. I mainly just went to school, kept up with the house, slept, and repeated the process the day after." 

She didn't respond right away, but rather looked like she was in thought. Soon after, she looked back up at me "Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be." I looked at her with a slightly surprised expression, not sure how to react. It seems as if she was quoting something, so I just smiled and nodded my head. "That's... a good point." I tried, but to me, my response was quite awkward. However I don't think she took it the wrong way, and she smiled in satisfaction and went back to her apple.

"How old are you?" I ask, trying to recover my own anxieties over the one-sided awkwardness. "Sheven" She said, mouth still full with apple. "Ah, I'm eight." I responded back to her unasked question, and she just hums in acknowledgment and takes another bite.

_____________________________

Once we finished our food, I lead her back up to our bedroom. I was quite impressed that she managed to eat all that was on her plate and still move up the stairs with no problems. "I'll have to give you a tour tomorrow, however our curfew is coming soon and I wouldn't want to miss it and get in trouble." I offered, and she just nodded and continued to follow me. "I'll make sure to find a seamstress for your tomorrow morning, since there isn't school tomorrow." I said as I finally made my way to the bedroom door, unlocking it and making my way inside. She followed me in, and looked around at the large room. When she saw the beds, she cocked an eyebrow. "This bed over here is yours. I hope it's comfortable enough for you." I said with a smile, and she awkwardly sat on the bed and observed the pillows and blankets. "This is for... sleeping?" She asked, and I laughed at the odd question. I soon realized she was serious, and gave a confused but still friendly expression. "yes, did you... not sleep on beds where you're from?" I asked as polite as possible. She shook her head, "No, we slept on mats on the floor. The adults sleep... slept... on the floor as well, but in a meditation box." She explained, and I nodded my head to show understanding. "Ah, I see. Uh, is there anything I can do to make a better accommodation for you?" I offered, but she just shrugged and said "No, I'm good." 

I took her word for it and began to get my sleepwear to put on behind the folding screen after I showed her where her own sleepwear should be located. While I was getting dressed, I could hear the sound of her drawer opening and a sound of disgust. I chuckled, "Sorry if it's not your preferred style, I can probably have the seamstresses get everything replaced for you." I stepped out, now in my sleepwear, seeing Adira hold out a baby pink nightgown with ruffles at the collar, skirts end, and sleeves. "Yes please, that would be greatly appreciated." She said, still going behind the folding screen to get dressed. Once she came out, she stood in front of the mirror and put her snow-white hair into two braids. "Is your hair naturally white?" I asked, never seeing white hair on a child before. She nodded, not looking back from the mirror. "It is, my Master said it means I bring good luck, but I just think it's rare genetics or something." she said, cheekily smiling at me through the mirror's reflection. I snickered at the expression and smiled back, adjusting my pillows and blankets for bed. Only then did I notice that this has been the most I've ever talked to someone in a day for what seems like forever. I glanced back at the green star, and if I looked hard enough, I could make out a faint red-glowing star sitting right next to it.

If you were to ask me, I'd say she brings luck.


	4. Family (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quirin, the son of the head knight of the dark kingdom, becomes orphaned at eight years old. King Edmund promises his most loyal knight to take care of his son as his last dying wish, providing Quirin with a room of his own in the dark kingdom. Not too long after, Edmund finds a young girl alone in the cold of winter who claims to be a survivor of the attack on the Jingshen Temple. The girl, Adira, is also taken under Edmund's care and becomes the adopted sister of Quirin. Nearly a year after the two became siblings, an abandoned child is found living in the dark kingdom's landfill and is sneaked into the castle under the two siblings' care. After convincing King Edmund to provide for yet another child, the responsible elder, eccentric sister, and rambunctious little brother start their crazy adventures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the writing and grammar is going to be a little off for Hector's POV's to fit his toddler mindset more, just to give you a head's up. I tried to avoid making it too obnoxious since I know that some writing's that imitate children can be a bit... overwhelming to read. In the future you might notice that in Hector's POV's his speech is perceived as normal, but in other people's POV's you will see his R's and sometimes S's replaced with his childhood rhotacism and lisp's (when he loses his baby teeth).  
> Also, a bit of context on this chapter, Hector's mother was basically a prostitute and couldn't afford to care for him anymore, hence the traveling and friendliness to her clients. She wanted to drop him off at a kingdom where he couldn't find his way back as easily in case he tried to find her, and also where no one knew who his mother was.
> 
> Edmund: 27  
> Ophelia: 26  
> Quirin: 9  
> Adira: 8  
> Laurie and Hailei: 7  
> Hector: 3

Hector’s POV:

After three weeks, baby birdies leave their momma and fly out of their nests to be like the other big birdies. I know this because I saw it for myself when we stayed at our last home, far from where I am now. I saw the eggs and waited for them to hatch, and then when the birdies were born, I saw the momma bring them food for them to eat. But eventually, the momma birdy taught them how to fly, and each baby birdy left one after the other. 

My momma never taught me how to fly, but I guess it was my time to start acting like a big birdy myself after she left.

My momma and I always went on trips together. We went to cities and kingdoms and villages of all sorts! My momma was so friendly, but I was always pretty shy. She would always be talkin’ to soldiers and other big persons, while I stayed quiet in the travel wagon or went out to look for bugs under big stones. But on our way to this place, Momma was real quiet, and looked pretty sad too. I tried to cheer her up but showing her the little mouse I found, but she just used her outside voice at me and told me to put it back in the grass. I didn’t understand why she was so upset, but now I think it’s pretty clear that it’s because she didn’t like mice.

The place we went to looked like it was always bedtime. The stars shined bright and everything was all dark. I couldn’t help but wonder if everybody wore pajama’s for day-time clothes here. My momma stopped in front of a bridge that had lots of weird stuff under it. There was broken wood and metal scraps and sacks of things like potatoes skins and leftover food. She helped me down the stairs to see the pile of weird stuff, and knelt down to meet my height more better. “Hector… Momma is going to let you get a pet kitty… like you always wanted.” She said, but Momma didn’t seem too happy. Even though she wasn’t very excited, my face still lit up with joy as my biggest dreams were coming true. “Really?” I say with my heart fluttering. My momma nodded and pointed to the big scrap pile. “If you look hard enough, you can find a pet kitty in that pile. But you have to look long and hard, okay?” She told me, and before I ran to the pile, I hugged my momma tight. She hugged me back a little too hard, but it was okay because I knew she was probably still upset about seeing the mouse from earlier. Maybe that’s why she wants a kitty.

I ran with all my might to the pile and called out for a kitty, and took my time to turn over scraps that I was strong enough to lift. After about half an hour of searching, I got upset over still not finding a kitty and ran to my momma to get help.

She and the travel wagon were gone.

____________________________________

I wonder if big birdies felt this yucky and hungry after their momma’s leave them too. My momma washed my clothes every week for me, but now that she’s gone I have to do it all by my own self. It rains a lot, so sometimes I’ll take off all my clothes and dunk them in the puddles not too far from the scrap pile; that is unless it’s the really scary rain, then I just stay under the half-open crate where I sleep and nap. I don’t go too far from the scrap pile either, because there are big soldier-looking guys who don’t look friendly like the other soldiers my momma met before. Besides the yuckiness I feel from the mud and moldy food, I also feel so hungry despite eating like 20 potato skins and half eaten apples. My tummy always ends up hurting afterward and sometimes I even get real sick. That never happened to me when momma would share her food with me, and when I did get sick, she’d always hold me until I felt better. I sure wish she was here to hold me now.

Although I needed to be big and live on my own, I couldn't help but cry sometimes. I didn't understand why babies had to be left by their mommas so soon. Life would be so much easier if Momma could still help feed me and maybe teach me how to get food easier before having to leave me behind. I know she knew better than I did, but it just didn't make sense to me. Why did all the other big people live in villages but I was left somewhere where I couldn't even leave from? Somewhere where the soldiers were scary and the food was so nasty and hard to get? I didn't understand, and even though I know my momma had to I still felt so... both sad and mad.

Today, when trying to forget about missing Momma while still being sad and mad, I tried to find a way to fill my empty tummy.

I ate all the potato skins that weren’t already moldy, and all the other food scraps were too thin to bite out of all today and the last few days. I kept looking around for food when I was struck with luck! I found a half eated corn cob on one of the stacked scraps of wood. Because it was so high up, I did have to climb my way up to get it. I climbed up the wood panels and boxes with lots of carefullness, and finally was able to reach the corn cob.

But then I leaned back too far by accident, and my weight made me fall while bringing the big crates down on me.

I was surely stuck as my leg was almost crushed by the big box full of heavy metal. Even though I was scared of the scary soldiers finding me, I couldn’t help myself from crying out real loud. I cried on and on and on for forever! I didn’t think anybody could hear me from down where I was, but even worse, the scary rain sounds started. There was no water, but I could hear the growling sound it made. My heart beated even faster and faster, and I cried out even louder.

I really wish Momma was here to help. I thought that if I called her, she'd maybe have been waiting and watching me all this time, and would come and save me.

But even though I cried for her, still nobody, not Momma, not any birdies or mice, or big persons came.

But eventually after sometime had past, I finally had some help on the way. I didn’t notice them right away since my eyes were closed from crying, but there were two big kids coming down the stairs and making their way toward me. 

There was a boy and a girl big kid. They seemed alarmed and walked up to me so quickly. “Are you alright?” The boy-big-kid asked, but I was unsure If I should answer, because I didn’t know if he was scary like the soldier men were. The girl-big-kid looked all sad when she saw me, but helped the boy-big-kid move the crate up enough to drag me out from under it. Although my leg hurt real bad, I don't think it broke or anything like that. I stopped crying though and was relieved that it wasn't being squashed under the crate anymore. I then looked back up at the mysterious big kids who helped me, and the boy-big-kid spoke up.

“Hey little guy, are you alright? I’m Quirin and this is my sister Adira-” the boy said as he kneeled down to me and nodded toward the white haired girl who waved at me. “What’s your name?”

something about the boy and girl didn't scare me, but rather drawn me toward them. I mean, they helped me when I was hurt and asked me if I was okay. They weren't scary like the big soldier men... I think they wanted to help me.

“My name’s Hector.”

The boy named Quirin gave me a smile.   
"Hello Hector, nice to meet you."


	5. Family (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quirin, the son of the head knight of the dark kingdom, becomes orphaned at eight years old. King Edmund promises his most loyal knight to take care of his son as his last dying wish, providing Quirin with a room of his own in the dark kingdom. Not too long after, Edmund finds a young girl alone in the cold of winter who claims to be a survivor of the attack on the Jingshen Temple. The girl, Adira, is also taken under Edmund's care and becomes the adopted sister of Quirin. Nearly a year after the two became siblings, an abandoned child is found living in the dark kingdom's scrapyard and is sneaked into the castle under the two siblings' care. After convincing King Edmund to provide for yet another child, the responsible elder, eccentric sister, and rambunctious little brother start their crazy adventures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second-to-last "Family" chapter, all the more fun scenes are coming soon!  
> If you already read the previous chapter (Family Part 4) the day I post this one, I added more text in between to fill it in more. I felt like it was missing a lot compared to the other chapters, and I want the introduction chapters to be more lengthy than the drabble-like chapters in the future. It's still short, but longer than before. I often write around 3am and that tends to make me feel as if I need to rush, so I'm working on putting better efforts at better timings in my day for this. If you want to leave suggestions for future drabbles, let me know! Also, follow my tumbr for my "art" or something of the sorts @bbbrotherhood.
> 
> Edmund: 27  
> Ophelia: 26  
> Quirin: 9  
> Adira: 8  
> Laurie and Hailei: 7  
> Hector: 3

Quirin’s POV: 

When I first met Adira, I didn’t know she could be so… prankish and vexatious? I mean, only to a certain degree, don’t take that the wrong way, but… I wasn’t expecting such a trouble-prone nature to her when I first met her. Her wise and calm side to her is definitely real, but she holds this other side of her that loves excitement, recklessness, and adventure. It makes her appear quite two-faced, but not necessarily in a bad way.

Since I’ve lived a life of responsibilities and discipline, the first time she started offering to do risky things I felt very anxious, distressed, and definitely caught off guard for sure.  
I can see it all now…  
********* _  
“Quirin! I overheard the maids in the halls talking about making creme puffs for the festival tonight! Wanna go and get some?” Adira said as she burst in the room after her shower. I looked up from my book, surprised by the sudden entry. “Those sound delicious, sister, but I’m afraid the festival is only for the adults.” I said, looking back down at my book.  
“Well duh.” She said, sitting at the edge of my bed and giving me a mischievous look. I sighed, putting my book down again and waiting for her further response.  
“We're gonna sneak into the kitchen and take just a few. They won’t even notice.” _

_“What!? No! Adira we can’t do that! That’s-” I protested, shocked at her offer before I was interrupted. “-Completely fine since I know how to sneak in there without getting caught. They’re gonna probably end up with too much anyways. I’ve already taken plenty of leftover desserts that the royal family didn’t eat.”  
“You WHAT?!” I cried out, so shocked at the misbehavior and.... does taking the king’s pastries count as treason? Sure why not. TREASON. _

_Despite my protests and hatred of the idea, we did, in fact, end up with thirty-five creme puffs to share for the night._

_Which, not to mention, didn’t even matter because they gave out the leftovers the next day to everyone for lunch._

********

Although some things that Adira drags me into can be fun and different from my boring and lonely previous life, sometimes it almost gets us in trouble and I can’t imagine what would happen if we did ever got caught. How big of something would be _too_ big? What would the king do? Would he send us away to be in someone else’s care? Would we be sent to orphanages? That whole thought made me feel light headed. 

It’s been nearly a year since Adira and I have met. I’m glad I now have a sister who can keep me company despite her need for mischief and occasional pranks toward the staff. Moreover, I’m also happy she’s adjusting well to the new atmosphere while still being herself. The seamstresses ended up helping her design a more fitting wardrobe, and now she wears much more movable clothing that has hints of her culture. In addition, she convinced King Edmund to get her face paints so she could express herself that way too. She had offered to paint my face as well, but I politely declined. To be honest, I was surprised that she was able to talk to King Edmund so easily, nonetheless convince him to get her such an odd gift for a young girl. Maybe I’ve been underestimating how easygoing the king really is.

We had just finished school for the day, and while I was reading, she decided to lay on her bed and look at the ceiling, sighing aggressively. “Is… everything alright?” I ask, looking toward the dramatically-sighing girl. Her eyes shifted from the ceiling over to me, and then she shook her head. “Not really, I’m bored. We should go outside and do something.” She said as she sat up, weight on the palms of her hands. I raised an eyebrow, “And what would this ‘something’ consist of?” I said as I put my book to the side, now fully facing her. She shrugged and stood up to stretch. “I dunno, we could go catch some frogs in the creek near the construction plot and scrapyard.” She offered, but I automatically shook my head. “No Adira, we’re not allowed over there, remember? Plus there are knights all over that place." She however, shook her head back at me. “Not true, today all knights are ordered to have a meeting with the king. It’s supposed to last until sundown… or… darker dark-time, I guess I should call it.” She stated, starting to put her boots back on. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. ‘Another day of nervously trying not to get caught’ I thought to myself. I got up and started to put my boots on as well.

“Fine, but if anyone finds us we’ll have to say we got lost.”

“Sure.”

_____________________________

Adira’s POV: 

As a wise man once said, "If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path."

Life is very different here than it was at home. I can’t say that that's good or bad, but I will say that it feels like a completely new life. Besides myself, there is not a trace of my old home’s existence here, and that fact makes my mind spin. I do like to look on the bright side though: I have new people to prank, new places to explore, and new things like culture and customs to learn about. Quirin, my brother, is quite nervous when it comes to venturing out and trying new things that can be unsafe; but I have a feeling that it is only because of his protective and responsible nature. Most times I bring him into my mayhem for my own appeal, but other times I do it for his sake: to get him to loosen up and have fun.

Today, I’ve convinced him to go catch frogs with me while the knights were away from the area. He, as expected, eventually caved in. We made it pretty close to the creek, when we noticed a distant crying sound. Quirin thought it was some sort of hurt animal at first, but the closer we got to the mysterious noise, the more it appeared to sound human. My first thought was that one of the maid’s children got hurt; but that wouldn’t have made sense, since we saw them playing ball outside on our way out. Quirin and I shared a strange look, before deciding to both head for the scrapyard, where the sound came from.

The place wasn’t huge, but big enough to make me worry for whoever was trapped down there. Who knows, they could be way hidden in the maze of scraps and crates.

“Maybe… maybe you should let me investigate while you stay back here. It could be dangerous down there.” Quirin said, stopping in his tracks. I also stop, frowning at him. “Brother, it sounds like it’s a baby. How dangerous can it be?” I said, and he shot up his hands in defense. “I know! I know! It’s just… I don’t want you getting hurt down there. There’s lots of broken stuff and one of us should stay up here in case the other needs to get help.” He explained, and I sighed and rolled my eyes. “It’ll be fine. I’ll stay a few steps behind you. C’mon, whoever is down there seems like they need help.” I insisted. He sighed and thought for a moment, then nodded. “Very well, just be on the lookout for anything dangerous.” 

I followed a few steps behind him like I said, and started down the stairs. We eventually got a good view of the scene, where a toddler laid on the ground, leg stuck under a crate. Quirin looked back at me with a concerned expression. “He’s stuck, let’s help him.” He suggested as we both moved closer to the young boy. He had been abandoned from what I could tell, unless his parents were strictly against haircuts, baths, and clothes that didn't look shredded. He also seemed very thin, much thinner than the chubby toddlers that I’d see back at the temples. The toddler almost looked sickly, and had odd yellow eyes that almost held a mystic feel to them. But despite the lack of hygiene, healthiness, and obnoxious crying, he was a pretty cute toddler. Eventually Quirin spoke up, asking “Are you alright?” With no answer. Maybe the boy didn’t know how to speak? How long had he been abandoned anyways?

He seemed pretty startled and unsure of us at first, and if it weren’t for the exhaust of what I could see as drawn-out crying, he probably would have panicked much more than he did.

Once we got him out from under the crate, he started to behave in more of a calm manner as his crying had ceased. Quirin knelled down to the little boy, “Hey little guy, are you alright? I’m Quirin and this is my sister, Adira-” He nodded toward me, and I gave him a gentle wave and smile. “What’s your name?” Quirin continued to ask, probably hoping he spoke english -or anything really- as well. The boy though for a moment, then looked back up at us. “My name’s Hectow.” He said, and I couldn’t help but smile at both his pronunciation and the fact that he could speak. "Hello Hector, nice to meet you." Quirin said, smiling at the boy as well. “How’d you get all the way down here? Where are your parents?” Quirin asked, hoping for another answer. The toddler gave him an odd look, “My momma left me to become like a big pewson awhile ago.” He explained, and Quirin’s face suddenly became dark and gloomy. “I see. How long ago might you say? A few nights?” He asked carefully, sadness in his voice. The boy shook his head. “No sir, a lot of few nights. Maybe five a lot of few nights.” If it weren’t so sad, I would have laughed. Did he mean five nights? Or five times the amount of multiple nights? Sadly, It appears to be the second one.  
“I see. Well uh, Hector, let’s get you into the big castle over there. We can find someone to help you. Little boys your age… shouldn’t be on their own for a looong time. Even my sister and I aren’t old enough to be on our own. But don’t worry! We will find someone to help you!” Quirin assured, starting to pick the boy up. Hector started to look confused as we headed up the stairs again. “What do you mean? Why did my momma leave then?” he asked, and I could feel both Quirin and I’s heart break. “I don’t know buddy. I wish I could tell you why, but I just don’t know.” Quirin replied softly, trying to comfort the lost child.


	6. Family (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quirin, the son of the head knight of the dark kingdom, becomes orphaned at eight years old. King Edmund promises his most loyal knight to take care of his son as his last dying wish, providing Quirin with a room of his own in the dark kingdom. Not too long after, Edmund finds a young girl alone in the cold of winter who claims to be a survivor of the attack on the Jingshen Temple. The girl, Adira, is also taken under Edmund's care and becomes the adopted sister of Quirin. Nearly a year after the two became siblings, an abandoned child is found living in the dark kingdom's landfill and is sneaked into the castle under the two siblings' care. After convincing King Edmund to provide for yet another child, the responsible elder, eccentric sister, and rambunctious little brother start their crazy adventures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last of the intro's/"Family" chapters! let me know if you have any suggestions for future prompts, they will most likely be a bit shorter unless I get really into something. Also, Hector seems a bit out of character in this chapter and the previous chapters, but keep in mind that is because he's still so young and people's personalities change over time and whatnot. I know the show only shows his aggressive side, but I seemed to see a pattern between the brotherhood on having two opposing personalities at once. For instance, Adira is wise/mysterious yet she's also eccentric and kinda goofy, where Quirin is very outgoing and a leader, yet I sense he can also be easily flustered and shy at times. In addition, Edmund is both portrayed as almost scarily powerful/strong, yet he's also kind of an oddball with his whole "talking to himself" thing and his attempts to be buddy-buddy with his long-lost son again. This gives me the idea that Hector, although aggressive and sadistic, can also be a sweetheart/softy when he's not in "battle mode." You might also catch a glimpse of this after he and Adira fight in the "Great Tree" Episode, where he apologizes to her before he walks away.
> 
> Edmund: 27  
> Ophelia: 26  
> Quirin: 9  
> Adira: 8  
> Laurie and Hailei: 7  
> Hector: 3

Adira’s POV: 

The Buddha once asked, “If we fail to look after others when they need help, who will look after us?”

Quirin carried the small boy, Hector, through the castle and up the stairs. I had carried him for the last bit of walking, as Quirin couldn’t take the weight much longer despite his bigger build. That’s understandable though, as the Dark Kingdom’s castle has many, many stairs. Once we entered the bedroom, I plopped Hector onto my bed and both Quirin and I sat down, exhausted from our labors of carrying the boy. “Well, what are we going to tell King Edmund?” I ask, and Quirin whipped his head toward me with a scared expression. “King Edmund? No no no, we can’t tell him or else he’ll know we snuck out and we’ll get in trouble. We should tell a maid, maybe one of them can drop him off at an orphanage.” Quirin suggested. “An orphanage? No way! Haven’t you heard stories about all the things that can happen? Most eventually escape and become thieves because it’s so bad there! Or worse, they’ll get adopted by people who use them for nothing but hard labor!” I said, losing a bit of my calmness that my voice normally held. Hector caught on to what I was saying, and started to panic as well. “Am I gonna be sent to a jail?” He asked, voice shaking. The poor boy probably thought ‘orphanage’ was another word for some sort of child prison, but honestly that isn’t too far off. I looked at Hector with an empathetic expression, putting a hand on his shoulder. “No sweetheart, no one is going to an orphanage; I won’t let that happen.” I promised.

“Well do we have any other option!? What are we gonna do, smuggle him in here until he turns 18!?” Quirin exclaimed, but that just gave me an idea, and I flashed Quirin an evil smile.

“Oh dear what on earth did I just say?” He whined as he stared at the ceiling.

_____________________  
“No no and _no,_ Adira. We are not hiding a toddler in our room! Do you not understand how bad of an idea this is!?” Quirin cried out, pacing the room as I set up a tiny bed in the empty part of my dresser. It was definitely big enough for a kid his size, and it was perfect for hiding!

“Oh would you just relax!? I’ll come up with a better plan in the next few days… until then he can live up here with us. Better than living in a scrapyard, huh little buddy?” I said as I added a final throw pillow, and Hector nodded happily as he ate some food that I had smuggled and hid under my bed a few nights ago. Quirin held the bridge of his nose, “My dear… dear sister, he’s not a pet, you can’t just throw him some food and make him a bed. He is a toddler who needs lots of care and attention.” “Well duh, I helped take care of all kinds of toddlers at the temples. They’re super easy to care for if you do it right.” I shoot back at him, and he just turns around to sit on the bed with his face in his hands. “This isn’t going to end well.” I hear him quietly groan.

“I’m gonna get a towel and bucket so I can clean him up a bit… I don’t know what to do about the clothes though.” I said as I started heading out of the room. Quirin lifted his head and instead of a response, he just gave me a stressed look. “Love ya, brother! Have fun with Hector!” I say in a teasing voice, leaving before getting any reaction from him.

______________________

Quirin’s POV:

I really don’t want Hector to be sent away either, because Adira was right: orphanages around here aren’t the best environments for kids, and a high percentage of thieves were orphans who started thieving at a young age. But if we don’t tell King Edmund before tomorrow morning, he could get really upset at us for smuggling a child in our room. The thought of holding him in our room for multiple days also made me nauseous, as that could only add on to whatever punishment we could face.

While thinking about the nerve-racking consequences, I felt a little tug on my sleeve. I turned my head toward the tiny boy as he looked up at me with his big eyes, “What’s up, buddy?” 

“Is evewything going to be okay? Why are you and your sistew fighting?” Hector asked in an unsure voice, and I gave him a sad smile. “We’re not fighting, we’re just figuring out the safest place for you to go to right now.” I assured him, and he looked down at his feet. “I want my momma real bad.” He whispered, then I saw two tear droplets fall onto his dirty shoes. I didn’t know what to do right away, but then he started to crawl onto me and put his arms out.  
_He wants me to hold him._ I thought, and held the boy. I let him cry softly as I rocked him gently, patting his back. My father hadn’t ever comforted me like this since I was Hector’s age, so I mainly had to improvise my way through. Surprisingly, caring for the young boy felt natural and quite easy for me. 

Although I was trying to focus on assuring him everything was okay and comforting him, I also couldn’t help but think about how he needed a bath... I didn’t know ‘muddy rainwater clothes‘ could be a scent.

____________________

Adira’s POV: 

Who knew toddlers could be so fun!? It’s been two days of having Hector hide away in our room, and so far we’ve played odd games like ‘The Floor is Lava,’ indoor ball, and ‘Zombies.’ Also, Hector has this weird thing with animals where he can basically train them to do his every bidding! He once found two baby mice and taught them how to run around in a circle or roll over like a dog on command!

Although Quirin wasn’t too fond of the idea and was still stressed over getting caught, he did enjoy spending time with the young boy. He started reading to Hector and I before bed, and now Hector is hooked on the ‘Flynnigan Rider’ series despite only hearing two chapters of the first book. Hector soon came up with a new game where we pretended to be the characters in the Flynnigan Rider Series, and I’ll admit that even if Hector always insists I be the villain and Quirin be his horse, it’s a very fun game.

Even if it had only been a couple of days since we’ve met Hector, he’s really grown on us and I just don’t know what we’re going to do without him. I’d never say it out loud, but Quirin was right, we could get in serious trouble for this.

Speaking of getting caught, our good luck had ended today, Monday, where we had to go back to school. I repetitively told Hector to not leave the room unless it was a life or death situation, but I guess it takes more than just telling a toddler not to do something to actually get them not to do it. Once Quirin and I had arrived back home from school, we rushed back to our room to check on our new toddler roommate. However, once we got there, Hector was nowhere to be seen. 

We had looked under the beds and in every closet or drawer we had, yet there was no sign of the little boy. We eventually checked nearby rooms and behind hallway curtains, but alas, no Hector.

Eventually, we had taken the risk of talking to a maid, because we weren’t going to put not getting in trouble in front of Hector. We found a maid waiting at our bedroom door, and we both rushed up to her to see if she knew anything. 

“Mrs. Hansen! We need help! Have you seen a young boy around here?” Quirin asks anxiously, and the woman slowly nods with a look of annoyance.  
“Yes, that is why I’m here. The king had found the boy roaming the halls and heard he was staying up here with the two of you meddling kids. He wants you two to meet him down in the throne room right away.” She said, tone flat and careless. Mrs. Hansen has always seemed to be a downer, but she never snitches on us unless interrogated, so I still like her.

While I was thinking about Mrs. Hansen’s aloof personality, Quirin was busy freaking out about the orders from the king.

“Adira! What are we gonna do!?” He asked, and I finally snapped out of it. I frowned, but in more of a sympathetic way. “I dunno, I guess we have to just be honest. I’m sorry, brother, this is my fault. I should have listened to you.” I said, looking down at my feet. I heard a sigh and felt a hand on my shoulder. “No, sister, it’s okay. I didn’t want him sent away either… and he’s a fun little guy! I should be thanking you for helping him stay for the time he did…” He started, but I could tell he was facing a lot of hard emotions at the moment. I sighed back at him and went in for a small hug, then pulled away so we could face our “crimes.” “C’mon, brother, let’s go.” I said, and we found our way down to the throne room.

_______________

King Edmund paced in front of his throne as Hector sat on it, dangling his feet off the edge. Quirin and I made our way into the room, the look of guilt on our faces.

“Hello, children.” Edmund said, the sound of anger and disappointment in his voice. 

“Hello your majesty.” My brother and I say together, bowing to the giant man.

“Do you know why you’re here? Could it possibly because-” He pointed at the toddler fiddling with a mouse in his hands. “-you smuggled a child into your bedroom without permission nor alerting authorities that the child was abandoned!?” He exclaimed, making Quirin and I’s legs shake a bit. 

“I-I… your majesty we are indescribably sorry for taking him to our room without giving alert to authorities. We were being foolish and irresponsible.” Quirin apologized, but my eyes stayed glued to the floor. The room was awfully silent for a while, until Edmund aggressively sighed and turned to the boy. “I would punish you two, but this is such a unique situation so I don’t exactly know if punishment would even be needed in case of a second time.” He told us, picking up the toddler and walking back to where he once stood. 

“I’ll give you something small like cleaning the highest floor’s hallways… I’m sure that will be enough to get the point across. I am disappointed in the two of you, this young child could have been hurt and needed medical attention. I hope you think about your actions more before doing them.” King Edmund finalized, and Quirin gave a sigh or relief. “Thank you so much your majesty, I promise we will not partake in such foolishness again.” He bowed as I still kept my eyes on the floor.

“Very well, I’m going to send this young boy to the nearest orphanage. You may head back to your bedroom now.” He announced, and my head shot up as he walked passed me with Hector in his arms, who was also now alert at the word ‘orphanage.’ 

“No!” I hollered, and Edmund turned back at the objection with a look of surprise and confusion. 

“Pardon me, young lady?” King Edmund asked, halfway upset, halfway genuinely confused at my sudden rebellion. “Adira? What are you doing!? Don’t do this!” Quirin whispered, but I ignored his pleas to stop. 

“You can’t take him to the orphanage! You just can’t! I get it, you make the final decisions for everything and you’re an adult and you know best, but I beg of you… PLEASE hear me out just for one moment. If you send Hector to the orphanage, he might not get to live a fair and good life. Many leave the orphanages to be thieves who are mad at the world. I know it’s only been a couple of days that I’ve known him, but he deserves so much and I can’t let him be sent somewhere that may be a bad place for him. I promise I’ll take good care of him! I’ve been doing so with the help of my brother for nearly three days and he’s fine, if not better than when we found him! Hector is so imaginative and wonderful and playful and needs a family who he trusts… please let Quirin and I be that family for him. I know you can’t just adopt any child that needs a home, but I think us finding him was destiny! I’ll do anything as long as he gets to stay with us… just please let him stay with us.” I beg, and the king looks down to think for a moment. The silence stung as we could feel it jab the back of our necks, anxiously waiting for a reply.

“I’m sorry Adira, I understand your care for this boy, but I do not think this is a good idea.” He said, turning back up toward the stairs.

Quirin and I looked down, avoiding eye contact with the toddler who was looking back at us, desperately trying to escape the man’s hold and hollering for our help.

“And where do you think you’re going?” A strong, female voice came from one of the entry ways, stopping Edmund in his tracks.

“Ophelia! Hello Dear! We had a bit of a situation where the kids-”

“Oh I heard everything, Edmund. Did you not listen to a word the young girl said? She’s doing fine taking care of him with her brother and this sweet boy needs a family that consists of people who love and trust him… And you want to send him to an orphanage!?” I hear Queen Ophelia’s voice boom at her husband. Edmund’s face began to flush and he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

“Well I uh…” He started, but could not come up with any objection toward his wife’s questioning. “But dear, I already told them no.” I could hear him whisper, and the woman frowned at him as she put her hands on her hips. “Then I’ll tell them yes. Give me the child.” She ordered, gently grabbing the small boy from Edmund’s grasp.

She walked down the stairs with the boy and smiled at Quirin and I. “I believe this little one is yours. Be careful though, caring for children his age can be quite challenging. If you ever need any help… don’t be afraid to ask me.” She said with a wink, and as she set Hector down, He ran to Quirin and I with open arms hollering “Quiwin! Adiwa!”

“Thank you, your highness.” I said with a smile, and she nodded and left the room with her now slightly flushed husband, quietly arguing in what seemed to be a playful manner. 

I looked down at the small boy and knelled down onto the floor with Quirin to give him a big hug. Something within me felt like the three of us were always meant to be together. I look up out one of the dining hall windows, and see a new speck of yellow near my favorite two red and green stars.

A little voice spoke in my head, “Family is not about blood, it is about who is willing to hold your hand when you need it the most.” 

I started to understand a bit better now...

This is my family.


	7. Caretaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quirin devotes all of his time to take care of his little brother and sister when they come down with the flu. However, once the two siblings heal, the tables turn and they must return the favor to their eldest brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter than the previous chapters. I'll try and keep these lengthy, but I'm still very new to writing. If you have any prompt suggestions, let me know! Also if you'd like, follow my Tumblr @bbbrotherhood! The next prompt should be about Hector being bullied and Quirin standing up for his little brother.  
> Edmund: 30  
> Ophelia: 29  
> Quirin: 12  
> Adira: 11  
> Laurie and Hailei: 10  
> Hector: 6

Third-person POV:

Quirin never got sick. Every year when cold and flu season came around he’d always remain healthy, and he’d never gotten any virus or infection of any sort in all of his 12 years.

However, his little brother and sister -Adira and Hector- were not so lucky.

It all started with small sniffles here and there for the past two days, which led to coughing fits during school and training. Edmund had released the three adopted siblings early for them to get some rest, and decided that he would send a nurse in the morning.

As the pitch-black darkness of the night changed into their usual somber daylight, Quirin woke up and started his morning routine of getting dressed while enjoying the temporary peace and quiet as he waited for his siblings to awake. However, when they did wake, the opening of their eyes were accompanied by groans and moans. This wasn’t the usual case, because usually Adira or Hector (whoever was up first) would jump on the other’s bed restlessly until they got up.

 _This isn’t good._ Quirin thought. He sighed and put the book that he was reading down to go and feel their foreheads. Both were alarmingly warm. “The nurse should be up here soon. Hang in there you two.” Quirin assured, a bit of sadness and sympathy in his voice. Adira usually handles sickness like a champ, showing no difference to her behavior, but this time it seemed the illness was too much for her 11-year-old body. She seemed oddly tired and sore, unwilling to sit up or move in the slightest. When Quirin checked her forehead he was expecting some kind of comment or slap of the hand, because she usually hated being touched when it wasn’t an act of occasional comfort or affection. But to his surprise, she just stayed completely still, the look of fatigue and nausea on her face. She did reply with some kind of soft groan, but he didn’t think it was because of the touch but rather the illness itself. Hector, on the other hand, was usually very dramatic when it came to being sick. This was always out of character compared to his usual confident, daring, and independent personality. The times when he had been sick before were always filled with crying, complaining, groaning, moaning, and refusals to do anything outside of laying in bed all day. Luckily, when times like this arose, Quirin and Adira would help take care of him while the nurse was away.

Unfortunately, this time Quirin was alone.

He looked at his ill 11-year-old sister and 6-year-old brother from his bed as they all sat and waited for the nurse, unsure of what to do until then. Quirin got tired of waiting and eventually left to get her himself. He had found her walking down the halls leading toward the bedrooms, joining her to report what he has seen so far.

The nurse came in and examined the two children after taking their temperatures. “Looks like influenza for both of them... It’s going around lately.” She said as she started packing up her medical instruments. “They should be fine in about a week as long as they get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. They may need to eat light due to nausea. Besides that, there’s not much I can do. Any questions before I head back?” The nurse asked, but Quirin just shook his head and thanked her as she left.

Afterward, Quirin ran down to report to the King, telling him that they could not make it to training nor school until further notice. He also retrieved water, crackers, buckets, and rags and brought them upstairs.

He quietly entered the room and placed everything down. He poured his siblings a glass of water and set it on their bedside tables. After that, he filled the rags with cold water and gently placed them on their foreheads. When he placed the rag on Adira’s, she has sighed and smiled softly as she relaxed into her pillow. Hector could barley keep his eyes open, but gave a weak “Brother?” (technically "Bwothow?") as the cloth met his skin. “Yeah, it’s me. You’re gonna be okay. Get some rest little brother.” He said, smiling even though Hector couldn’t see.

The day continued on, and Quirin was completely occupied with refilling water buckets and helping them sit upright as they ate and drank. The two were in a constant state of being both half awake and half asleep, fighting the aches and pains. The night grew closer, and before Quirin headed for bed himself, he decided to move the two into his bed with him for both comfort and convenience. They usually only shared a bed when it was winter or after one of them had a nightmare, but today was another exception.

__________________

Quirin woke up to the feeling of his siblings heat and sweat on both of his sides and arms. He didn't think of showering though, as he had higher priorities at the moment. He carefully exited the bed while trying not to wake them, and quickly made his way down to the nearest faucet to fill his buckets again. His body worked like a machine, only performing actions that would help his beloved younger siblings. Quirin was a natural protector, who went into a mindless survival state when it came to taking care of his loved ones. He's convinced that if an entire army had tried to get to his siblings in this moment of time, they'd all be knocked down in a matter of seconds.

The 12-year-old made his way back into the bedroom to help his siblings eat and drink some more, and read them back to sleep in order to help quicken the healing. Adira laid sprawled out on the bed, fever clouding her mind, while Hector clung to his older brother in an attempt to find comfort from the pain.

_________________

It took two more days for their fevers to die down, and their usual, healthy states were beginning to show again. Hector was running around the room again, playing some sort of crazy game, while Adira was back to sitting up on her own in a meditation box. Quirin was indescribably joyful to see his family back in such great health, but that joyfulness narrowed down a bit when he started sniffling and feeling rather warm. When his younger siblings caught on to the situation at hand, they shared looks at eachother and got to work.

Later that day, Quirin laid in bed as Adira helped him carefully drink water and Hector placed a wet towel on his forehead. The two stayed by his side all night, also coming up with their own stories to read to him in order to help him sleep. 

Quirin was glad that he was in good hands and good company for his first time getting sick. Sooner or later, he too was healthy again and the three were able to play with one another just as before.


	8. The Bully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector gets picked on by an older student during recess. Quirin, however, isn't going to let him get away with picking on his little brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edmund: 31  
> Ophelia: 30  
> Quirin: 13  
> Adira: 12  
> Laurie and Hailei: 11  
> Hector: 7

Warning: mild language, violence, and mild animal cruelty

Quirin’s POV:

Ever since Hector and Adira came into my life, I’ve always been so protective over them. It was my job as their big brother to guide them to make better choices, comfort them after a nightmare, help them with homework, take care of them when sick, patch up scraped knees and elbows from training or playing outside, have them make up after a fight, make sure they wash their hands before eating... I could go on forever. Although all of that seems rather tedious and exhausting, I love having the role of the eldest brother. This is mainly because it gives me joy when I help them feel better or more prepared for a successful future. I find peace in keeping them safe and happy, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’ve had to handle many... many crazy situations that my little brother and sister have gotten into, but today’s incident surely wasn’t anything that I’ve dealt with before. In fact, it wasn’t even Hector’s fault in this case. He was purely a victim.

I don’t ever recall getting genuinely angry before. Sure, I’ve raised my voice at my siblings to get them to listen, but this was the most fury I’ve ever felt and expressed before, and it might end up being the most fury I’ve ever felt and expressed in my whole life. My emotions, minus the nervousness that I feel with the occasional troublemaking that my siblings cause, are usually very peaceful and well-kept. Today’s incident, however, was an exception.

It was recess time, where Adira and I were standing under some shade after playing ball together. Usually the bigger kids were separated from the younger kids, but only certain teachers really enforced that rule. Today, one of the bigger kids snuck over to the center of the playground, where he went around teasing and scaring little kids. While most kids went off to run away or hide, Hector did not have a care in the world. The little boy just played with a toad and mouse that he found alongside the playground as he sat in the wood chips, minding his own business. The big kid, Alexander, didn’t seem to like that. He stomped over toward the boy, and kicked wood chips onto the boy and his little friends. Hector went from being calm and content to angry, “Hey!” He growled, glaring at the older student.

Although there was some distance between us and Hector, we definitely recognized his voice and drew our attention over to the playground. We noticed the lack of kids on the playground, and Alexander, a boy two years younger than me, towering over our little brother. “Uh oh.” Adira said under her breath.

“What are you gonna do? Cry to mommy? Oh wait! Your mother was a whore who left you to die!” Alexander laughed, and Hector’s face went from angry, to shocked, to sad.

_Oh he’s going to regret that._

My body seemed to have a mind of its own, moving me forward as if I was entering a battlefield. I could hear my heartbeat as it beat out of my chest, I felt my ears and face redden, and my fists clenched up, completely unable to relax. Adira didn’t stop me at all, but rather moved closer to the scene a few steps behind me. Her expression was shocked, and almost nervous for what was about to come.

Alexander didn’t stop there, he also picked up the toad, and chucked it across the playground. Hector screamed “No!” at the action, reaching out for the small animal. Thankfully for his own peace, I saw it hopping away in the corner of my eye as I continued stomping toward him like an uncontrollable machine. Hector would have started crying, but the second he caught me storming toward Alexander from behind, he gave a mischievous smirk to the bully as he knew he was about to be saved.

“What are you smiling at you little-“

I wasn’t expecting the sound of my fist knocking the side of his face to make such a hard sound. With the exception of training, I’ve never taken part in violence, nor did I ever want to unless it was for justice. This however, wasn’t training. There were no safe wooden swords or boundaries; all the hits were very real. I knocked the kid to the ground in seconds, taking him by complete surprise. I was so focused on punching the kicking the kid that I didn’t even notice Adira swooped Hector up and away from the scene where they could watch at a safe distance. My mind blocked out the sounds of children cheering and screaming, as I was only focused on teaching Alexander a lesson for messing with my little brother. “Don’t. You. EVER. Mess. With. My. Little. Brother. Ever. Again!” I said, punches in between words. His nose started bleeding and his face was bruised, barley able to pick up a fight in comparison to my height and build. He was pretty big for his age -which was probably what started his big ego in the first place- but I was still much bigger.

I snapped out of it when I heard a familiar voice say “That’s enough son. You can stop now.”

It was King Edmund.

I automatically stopped and looked up at the tall man. His expression wasn’t angry, but rather ambivalent as he gave a sad smile. “Y-your majesty I-“ I shuffled onto my feet to bow at the king, shocked at his unexpected presence. “Alright children, head back inside. Except you, Quirin. Alexander, if you’d like to see the nurse, you may do so.” He ordered, and I stood behind as everyone, including my siblings, left to go inside. Alexander grunted as he got up, wiped blood from his nose, then limped away without a word.

“Your majesty, I am so sorry I-“

“Don’t be, son.” He interrupted me, and went on his knee to meet my height better.  
I gave him a confused look. “I visited the school to visit some of the kindergartners, I annually read to them at this time of year.” He explained first while looking to the side, then made eye contact with me again. “Some kids rushed in to complain about a kid causing trouble. Just as I was about to head out there, I noticed your brother, Hector, being picked on. I saw you stick up for him... that made me gain more respect for you in a new way.” He said, but I was still shocked at his take on the situation.

“But your majesty I went too far, I really hurt that kid, I was too violent...” I said, bowing my head in shame. “Well... maybe a little. But Quirin I know you were only that way because of your loyalty to your family. A true warrior fights for justice, and protects the people they love. You’ve shown me that you are capable of crossing boundaries in order to protect your people and give justice. That is how a great warrior thinks... a king, even.” He said, giving me a friendly smile. I look back up at him, and smile back. This time, it oddly felt comfortable and genuine.

“And hey, you’re making great impressions on some people who look up to you.” He says as he turns to look behind him, and there was Adira and Hector looking through a window at us. When they saw us look back at them, they blushed and quickly looked away, pretending that they haven't been looking. Edmund chuckled and looked back at me. “Maybe you should go back in and join them. I’ll talk to the other boy about his behaviors as well.” He said as he stood once more, and I bowed my head. “Thank you, King Edmund.”

He patted my head and had me go back into the classroom. Once I made it inside, not a second passed before Hector ran up and gave me a hug. “That was awesome, Brother! You really showed him!” He cheered, while Adira calmly walked toward me as well. “No problem, little brother. I’m sorry you had to see me like that though... I went a little too far.” I said, but Hector just shrugged, “I thought it was pretty cool.” I rolled my eyes playfully at the boy, but then turned to Adira as she spoke up. “What did Edmund have to say?” She asked, hiding most of her concerned expression. I sighed, “He wasn’t mad, he said that he thought what I did was good and showed loyalty. I think he even complimented me. I not sure though, my brain was still fuzzy from going crazy on that kid.” I said, trying to laugh a bit at the end to ease the tension. Adira smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. “It was very loyal of you to stand up for our little brother.” She said as she ruffled Hector’s hair, making Hector swat at her. I returned the smile, but looked over as Hector walked away from us to look outside the window. “I sure hope Cornelius is okay.” He pouted, and Adira and I both gave a puzzled look. “Who?” Adira asked. “Cornelius the toad, duh.” He said as he rolled his eyes at his sister. “Ah yes, my mistake. He and I are merely acquaintances.” she replied, and I laughed at both of them. “I’m sure he’s fine and will be back tomorrow. I saw him hop away awhile ago.” I mentioned, and the younger boy looked relieved.

“Alright students please get back to your seats we have to finish mathematics before the last bell rings.” The teacher announces to the class. Hector then went over to his own class with the other younger kids, and Adira and I went on with our day per usual.

I’d like to see anybody else try and pick on either of the two after today.


	9. Crush pt. 1 (Quirin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the Dark Kingdom’s northern lights festival, and Quirin asks Princess Laurie on a date for the first time ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ends kinda abruptly, but I'll be posting the rest of Quirin's part of the "Crush" chapters tomorrow!
> 
> Edmund: 32  
> Ophelia: 31  
> Quirin: 14  
> Adira: 13  
> Laurie and Hailei: 12  
> Hector: 8

Quirin’s POV:

Every few years, our kingdom throws a festival to celebrate the start of the northern lights. The lights weren’t always strong enough to be worth a festival, but this year they were expected to be bright enough again to celebrate. Usually people would go with their dates or family members, but I’ve never went before. This year, I had finally decided to go. I didn’t want to go alone, so I asked my little brother and sister to see the lights when we got back from training.

“Adira, Hector, the northern lights festival is coming up this week. Want to go with me?” I asked as I was hanging my wooden sword back up on the rack. Hector climbed his bed and started jumping, per usual, as he asked “who are the northern lights?” I couldn’t help but chuckle, “Not who, Hector, what. The northern lights are like waves of color in the night sky. I hear they’re very beautiful, but I’ve missed out on all the festivals so I’ve never seen them before. They are only strong enough to see every few years.” I explained. I looked at Adira to see her take on the invitation, but she was just sitting in her bed, whittling a mysterious object. “Adira?” I call to her, but she doesn’t look up. “That sounds great, brother, but I think you should ask a special someone instead while Hector and I go ourselves.” She suggested, and I gave her a confused look. “Huh? What do you mean?” I ask curiously.

“Oooo she’s talkin’ about you and Princess Laurie!” Hector teased, making kissing noises at me. I automatically start blushing, and avoid eye contact from both of them. “I!- I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I exclaim in attempt to hide my cover. Adira bursts out a hard laugh. “Ha! C’mon Quirin we’re not stupid! You’ve had a crush on Princess Laurie since you moved here! Plus, every time she walks by or sees you, she always waves and winks at you and your face turns bright red.” She argues, and I just sigh and sit on my bed. “Okay... maybe I like her a little... but she’s the princess! I can’t just ask out the princess on a date!” I cry out, falling back to lay on my bed. “Ask King Edmund if it’s alright after training tomorrow. It wouldn’t kill you to try.” Adira shrugged. I shot up from my bed, “Are you crazy!? I’m not asking King Edmund if I can date his daughter! He’d kill me! I’d also be horrified if he said no and told me about how I’m not fit enough to date her.” I sigh. Adira thought for a moment, then looked back up at me. “Then I’ll ask him for you!” She offered.  
“Oh don’t you dare!” I warn her.

_________________________

“King Edmund! Quirin wants to ask your daughter out to the northern lights festival!” Adira hollered before we left from practice.

Dang it.

I would have hid if I had anywhere to hide, and I would have ran if Edmund hadn’t been standing so close to me. He slowly turned around, towering over my body. His face held a terrifying scowl as he looked down at me and into my eyes. “You want to take my daughter on a date to the festival?” He asked, and I started trembling.

“Uh, uh- I- I mean- y-yes your majesty I-“ I stuttered, completely unable to move. He looked at me with the same cold expression in silence for what seemed like forever.

“That’s great! I was wondering when you were going to get the guts to ask my daughter out! I know you will give her the best treatment and respect!” He cheered, slapping a hand onto my shoulder.

What is wrong with this guy?

I started nervously laughing, still shaken up from the anxiety that froze my entire body. “Haha! Of course your highness! I’m- uh- thank you for letting me ask your daughter out!” I say with a shaky voice, and Edmund just smiled even wider, nodded his head, gave my shoulder a pat, and walked off. After he left, I shot my head toward Adira, who look with both happiness and confusion. “Well... uh...he said yes!” She cheered, and I frowned at her. “You almost got me killed!” I complained, but she just shrugged and put her hands on her hips. “Who cares! Like I said, he said yes. I told you it would be fine! Now c’mon, we have to think of a way to ask her.” She smiled, walking out of the small practice courtyard with me trailing behind.

"You sure can be quite the pest sometimes." I groan.

"Well duh, I'm your sister; that's my job." She points out, and I just roll my eyes as she sticks her tongue out at me.

___________________

I stand nervously in front of the princess’s bedroom door with flowers in my hand -purple clematis, to be exact- as I try to find the courage to knock on her door. I take a deep breath, and knock three times.

It took a few seconds, but the handle eventually started turning, and the blue-eyed red head peaked out from behind her door. “Quirin!” She squeaked with excitement. She opened the door wider and stepped a bit outside her room. She wore a shimmery teal nightgown that looked brilliant with her eyes. I was so mesmerized that I almost forgot that she was actually in front of me, waiting for an explanation as to why I was here. “So... what brings you here?” She asked, batting her eyes at me. “Oh! Haha, my apologies princess, you just, uh, look so beautiful! I forgot you were here for a second!” I say, immediately regretting it. God! Why do I have to be so weird! Idiot! I scold at myself. Princess Lauralie, however, looked rather flattered as she blushed hard and started fidgeting with her necklace. “Oh! Hahaha... why thank you.” She replied, then looked at the flowers. “Those are really pretty. Who are those for?” She flirtatiously gushed. “Oh these? Oh these are... these are for you! I uh, I was actually wanting to ask you something. I was wondering if you wanted to maybe... if you’re interested... maybe be my date to the northern lights festival?” I anxiously asked, scared for her response. It hadn’t been half a second before she squealed “Yes!! I’d love too! I thought you’d never ask!” I started to blush like crazy, letting her grab the flowers from my hand and return the bear hug she was giving me right now. She may be tiny, but dang was that girl strong.

“Uh, great! I’m uh, really glappy! I MEAN HAD! NO!!! I MEAN GLAD!” My face was red with embarrassment as I tried to find the right words without mixing one over the other. Thankfully though, I didn’t even see her react to my embarrassment of an attempt to speak smoothly. She pulled away from the hug, eyes droopy with a smug smile. Although the hall was only lit by dull blue lights, I could see a sweet glowing blush across her face. “I’m glappy you asked me. See you then!” She teased flirtatiously, kissing my cheek and swiftly closing her bedroom door behind her as she made her way back inside. I smiled at the contact, and felt my heart melt. If I had just a smidge more of control taken away from me in this moment, my knees would have bucked and I would have fainted at her doorstep. I can’t believe she said yes! I also tried not to hit myself at my stuttering and misuse of words that don’t even exist, but she still said yes!! I can’t believe it!

I rushed back to my room, heart beating out of my chest. She said yes! She said yes!

“She said yes!” I announced as I swung my bedroom door open. I see Adira quietly hush me with her pointed finger as she sat next to a sleeping Hector, her other hand brushing through his hair. I forgot it had been his bedtime and that Adira was going to read to him and tuck him in tonight since I’d be absent. Thankfully though, my rambunctious but dear little brother didn’t wake up. Adira smiled at me, “I’m really happy for you, brother. I knew she’d say yes.” Her voice was at a whisper, but I could hear her relief and joy in her voice. I nodded and smiled, “Thank you, sister, for your help on asking Edmund for me. I also must thank you for putting Hector to sleep; was he well behaved?” I brought myself closer and sat on my bed across from the two, taking off my shoes as I begun to get ready for bed. Adira nodded. “Yeah, he took a bit longer to finally put away his toys and get in his nightwear, but he laid quietly and let me read to him just fine. He was less squirmy though, I think whatever he did at school today really wore him out.” “Hmm, I think so too. I’m glad he didn’t cause too much trouble. I might as well get into my nightwear too.” I got up, and proceed to get ready for bed.

________________________

Today was finally the day of the northern lights festival. After practice, King Edmund had actually surprised me with new clothes to wear that looked fit for a prince! He said that if I were to take a princess -especially his daughter- to a festival, I needed to look the part too. Afterwards I got up to my room with Adira, and quickly changed into the outfit to try it on.

“You look like that prince guy from that book about the sleeping girl and the dragon lady!” Hector said, kicking his feet as he dangled his legs over the end of his bed. I chuckled at his commentary, “you mean the book Sleeping Beauty?” I cock an eyebrow, but he just shrugs and continues to play with his painted wooden soldier toys that Adira made him a few months ago. Adira came out from Hector’s wardrobe closet holding his clothes for the festival. She herself wore an outfit made for special occasions, which was a traditional Chinese styled dress called a ‘hanfu.’ It looked quite beautiful on her, it was red with golden designs all over and really went well with her snow white hair and complexion. She walked toward the playing child and plopped the clothes right next to his lap. “Alright dear, enough playtime. Come get dressed so I can start fixing your hair.” Adira told him, and if it weren’t for my ‘you better listen to your big sister’ look, he would have objected or started an argument. “Ugh! Fiiiine!” He groaned, rolling his eyes and throwing his toys across his bed more toward the pillows. He went behind his folding screen and got to work.

“You look gorgeous!” I compliment my little sister as she started to do her hair. She gave a confident smile. “I know!”

I couldn’t help but give a deep chuckle at the girl. She soon turns to me with a mischievous smile. “Not too bad yourself, Prince Quirin.”

I groan, “Adira, I’m not a prince, you can’t be going around saying that. People are going to get the wrong idea.”

I could hear Hector struggle as he managed to get all his clothes on. “Are you- ack! And Princess- oof! Laur... Lauralie gonna- urgh! Get m-married?” He said with struggle, and I almost felt the wind get knocked out of me. “Oh! Uh, well Hector, people don’t know if they’re going to get married until they’ve dated for awhile or are in an arranged marriage.” I explain, glaring at Adira for laughing. “I thought you and her _were_ dating?!” He exclaimed, seeming to finally get his shoes on as he skipped out from the folding screen and onto a stool as he awaited his sister’s assistance. The girl pulled her own stool up behind him, and began brushing out the tangles as he squirmed and cried out every few seconds. “No Hector, we're not dating.” I say, and I hear Adira whisper something into Hector’s ear. “Adira, whispering isn’t polite.” I lecture over the sound of Hector’s protests and squirming. Hector decided to rat his big sister out by sharing the secret comment. “She said- OW! She said you and the Princess would date if you’d- OUCH! ADIRA! Use some of your c...c? courage? to ask- THAT’S TOO HARD ADIRA! Her.” He said, trying hard to pronounce every word just right in between his complaints to his big sister. “I’m not even doing it that hard Hector. What were you doing today? Rolling around in dirt?” She argues. “So!?” He shoots back.

I roll my eyes and smack my head.


	10. Crush pt. 2 (Quirin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the Dark Kingdom’s northern lights festival, and Quirin asks Princess Laurie on a date for the first time ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might continue the "crush" chapters for Adira next, but I also may do a different prompt in between instead. I'm not sure yet!  
> Edmund: 32  
> Ophelia: 31  
> Quirin: 14  
> Adira: 13  
> Laurie and Hailei: 12  
> Hector: 8

Hector’s POV: 

Even though she can be bossy and annoying at times, I still love my big sister. When Quirin’s not around, she’ll sometimes let me go out and do crazy stuff with her like sliding down the halls in our socks after the maids just mopped, sneaking into the kitchen and taking some desserts, or setting up pranks on some of the grumpy staff ladies that tattle on us for "swinging on the chandeliers and breaking a window with our ball." She’s pretty cool, cuz she can fight really good and knows a lot of secret stuff. She even taught he how to use face paint not too long ago! I’d never say it out loud, but someday when I grow up, I wanna be just like her.

My big brother, Quirin, is supposed to go on a date with the princess. Although I think the whole romance thing super gross, I still hope they get married because that would make him the next king! I could imagine anyone trying to get in my way... I’d just say something like "You can’t mess with me! My big brother’s the king!" And then they’d have to do anything I tell them too! Haha... yeah... that’d be super cool.

While he’s off with Princess Lauralie, Adira is going to take me to see the lights too. They made me dress in fancier clothes and Adira had to brush out my hair (which I HATE) because Quirin said we had to "dress for the occasion." I never really understood his big vocabulary words, but he seemed serious and I have to do what he says or else I’ll get in trouble and can’t play with my favorite toys for the day.

We all walked down to the back of the castle and followed down the trails together, while Quirin split up to go find the princess. Adira held my hand through the crowd to reach the food stand, and bought us both snacks to eat for the night. Once we had everything, she dragged me through the crowd again to find spot where we could sit on our blanket together.

We sat pretty close to the other kids, who were running around and throwing something at one another. I soon saw that it was mud, and my impulse to join was almost too strong to bear. "Don’t even think about it. You’ll ruin your nice clothes and Quirin will be really upset with you." Adira warned, so I pouted and crossed my arms in response.

It wasn’t until someone had thrown a bit too far from their target, and had hit Adira’s left arm, covering her in mud. I hollered with laugher as her face went from shocked to angry, then sat back to watch the show as she got up and pummeled the kid in mud. More kids joined in and Adira started laughing as well this time, enjoying the mud fight that was taking place. I got up and joined too, first helping Adira, then betraying her by hitting her as well, starting a one-on-one mud battle with her.

By the end of it all we were completely covered in mud, but didn’t care at the moment because we were too busy laughing and rolling around in the dirt without a care in the world.

————————————

Quirin’s POV:

I couldn’t help but feel dizzy as I made my way up to Princess Lauralie’s room to escort her to the festival. Adira assured me everything would be fine if I just kept calm and confident, but right now that seems to be a bit of a struggle to accomplish. I took a deep breath, and knocked on her bedroom door.

"One moment, please!" I hear her say through the door.

After a few seconds, the doorknob started moving as the door opened and she stepped out into the hall. She was absolutely gorgeous! Her red hair reflected the hallway's blue lighting, matching her soft colored eyes that reminded me of the rare sight of a blue sunny sky. She wore a beautiful navy gown that was split by a white fabric embroidered with blue flowers. This time, after learning my mistakes from our previous encounter, I didn’t get too distracted by her appearance and automatically cut to the introduction instead of just staring like a hungry dog for way too long of a time.

"Hello, Princess Lauralie. You look ravishing. Are you ready to head down to the festival?" I ask, hands behind my back with the best posture I could have. He smiled wide as she looked me up and down. "Wow... you look quite ravishing as well if you ask me. Also, just call me Laurie! Let’s go!" She said smugly, ignoring all the proper mannerisms of walking as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her down the halls.

For a girl wearing heals, she walked pretty fast. It was honestly quite hard to keep up with her. Once we got closer to the castle’s exit that lead to the festival, she took an odd turn toward another direction. "Uh, your highness, I uh- I mean Laurie, where are we going? I thought the festival was that way.” She turned to me and smiled, slowing down her pace. “I have a better spot. Have you ever been to the lake that’s in the center of the botanical gardens?” She asked as she opened a door that I’ve never seen before. “I have not. I didn’t even know there was a lake in the gardens.” I answered, looking at her curiously as she walked down the stoned pathway that led to the mysterious garden’s entryway. I heard her laugh a bit under her breath. “Not many do. It’s fairly small and is only usually open to the garden keepers and royal family. It is however a perfect spot for northern lights... you’ll see why in a little while.” Laurie explained, and to be honest I was quite intrigued. “And we’re okay to be back here?” I ask, just to be cautious. She nodded as she continued to walk through the maze of the glowing garden. “Yep! My parents know we’re here. We’re fine.” She assured, so I gave her my trust and enjoyed the garden’s scenery as we found our way to the lake.

The lake was fairly small, but enough to fit a few small boats comfortably. There was a canoe at the shore of the lake, inviting us closer. “This is for us.” She said, moving closer to the canoe. I stepped in first so I could assist her as she made her way in as well, and managed to push us out and into the water. “I haven’t been in a canoe in awhile... the last time was... well...” I started to say, but didn’t want to ruin the mood with my crazy stories. “Was when what?” She asked curiously, scooting closer to me. “Well, my siblings had once tried to take a canoe out to sled down a hill after snowfall two years ago. I begged them to just use actual sleds like normal kids, but alas they didn’t listen. They did convince me to join though. It was fun... or at least before they went in another direction and ended up in the other lake that’s close to the scrapyard. The ice was thin so it broke easily and we ended up floating to the lake's center. We didn’t have any ores so we had to paddle back to surface with our bare hands. It was freezing! I couldn’t feel my fingers for days.” I chuckled at the memory, and to my surprise Laurie burst out laughing. “That’s hilarious! I always love watching your siblings run around and have fun, it’s very entertaining. I wish I could do half the things you guys do. I’m usually just stuck inside my room or taking lessons of some sort. Talk about boring.” She ended with a sigh, dragging her fingers through the lakes surface. I gave her a sad look. “What about Princess Hailei? I see you two hanging out a lot.” I mention, and she perks up. “Yeah! She’s like my sister! I swear the only fun I get to have is when she’s in my room and we sing and dance around like crazy, pretending like we don’t have a care in the world... but we’re not allowed to be like that in public. We’re told to stay ‘proper and poise’ at all times when other people are around.” She pouted. I frown and sigh at her response. “I wasn’t really able to have fun either, before I moved here and all. I mainly just kept up with the house while my father was gone.” I said. She looked back up at me from the water. “What about your mother? Didn’t she help out a bit?” She asked innocently, but I just shook my head. “Actually, she passed away a little while after I was born. My father took care of me until I could manage things by myself, then he went back to being a knight.” I explained. Laurie put a hand over her mouth and gave a sad expression. “Oh Quirin I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.” She said, but I quickly waved my hands up as a gesture to show that it wasn’t a big deal. “Oh no no no! You’re fine! It’s not too big of a deal for me. It was a long time ago.” I said, and she relaxed a little and got lost in thought.

“He was a real hero you know... you dad.” She mentioned, not looking up from her reflection in the lake. I nodded, “Yeah, I’m glad he was able to save lives. Hopefully someday those Qiandga Warriors will be defeated once and for all.” I respond, and she nodded back to show agreement. “Yeah. Poor Hailei, I couldn’t imagine having to be in hiding from the world because of who she is.” She started, and I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh yeah, if I’m allowed to know, why do they want her?” I ask. Hailei was a refugee princess who was sent to the Dark Kingdom since it is somewhat hidden, unknown to many, and has such a strong army of soldiers. She was originally from the Huo Empire, but the Qiandga Warriors had tried to hunt her down for a reason not many knew.

Laurie tilted her head to think, then answered. “I can’t tell you everything, even if I really want to. I trust you and everything, but it’s a very big deal. All I’m going to say is that despite her fragile appearance, she’s very valuable and powerful, and could pose a threat to the Qiandga Warriors as her power... gets stronger over time. She could potentially end the Warriors if she ever advances...” she went on, but eventually stopped. “Power? Like... magic or something?” I ask, very confused at her answer. She nodded. “Yeah, kinda. I’ve said too much... it’s a long story. Maybe someday I can tell you the whole thing.” She sighs, trying to drop the subject. It did intrigue me, but I didn’t want her to feel like I was forcing more out of her. The fact that got me the most was that she had the potential to end the warriors with... whatever ‘power’ she had.

Despite my curiosity, I let it go as soon as my attention was drawn to the colors surrounding my lakes reflection. She and I look up toward the sky, and see brilliant colors dance across the night sky. “Whoa.” We say at the same time, and we laugh together at the harmonious exclamation. Because the lake reflected the lights, it looked as if we were completely surrounded by the magnificent colors. “I see why you wanted this spot.” I say, amazed at the sights around me. “Yeah.” She hummed, and started to lay back into the canoe so she could see the night sky above her. She made eye contact with me as well, and patted right next to her as a gesture for me to lay down beside her. I blushed, but took the offer as I carefully turned and scooted back to lay next to the smaller girl.

We laid in silence for a few minutes, taking in the sky’s beauty. Eventually, I heard her sigh with content before she started to move a bit. I looked to see what she was doing, and saw her move to her side to rest her head on my chest. My face turned red at the contact, and I prayed she didn’t feel my heart pounding under her. Although very anxious, I still tried to do what anyone else would do, and I wrapped my arm around her. She didn’t flinch or anything, so I took that as a good sign. We both still stayed silent, and after some time had passed I began to feel more relaxed. The sight was very cute, she was cuddled up against me as she looked at the waves of light above us with happiness in her eyes.

Although her eyes were set towards the nights performance, my eyes were set on the sight of her.

I almost started to fall asleep after another 30 minutes of laying down, but snapped out of it as soon as she started to get up and stretch. I looked back up at the sky to notice the lights had died down once more. I also got up and stretched, thinking of what to say next.

“Well, should we start heading back?” I suggest, and she nods. “Sure. I’d hate to go back, but I don’t want to be out too late and make my parents worry.” She said softly. I grab the ore that’s was placed on the side of the canoe, and started to make our was back to shore. I helped her out and held an arm out for her so I could escort her (properly this time) back to her room. Although we still stayed silent, it was a comfortable silence, like as if we didn’t need words to enjoy one another’s presence. After making our way up all the stairs and hallways, we finally arrived at her bedroom door.

“Well, it was wonderful night with you, Laurie. I’m glad to have spent it with you.” I said as I started to say goodbye, and she turned to face me before opening her door. “Same here, we should... see each other more. Maybe you could join me for dinner with my family Saturday? I would really love that.” She says with a soft smile. My eyes widen, but I nod and smile back. “Yes! I would love to. Well uh... I’ll... see you around!” I say, starting to step back to leave.

“Wait! Quirin?” She quickly said, stepping out from her doorway and closer to me.

“Yeah?” I turn back, only to meet her inches away from me. She went on her tippy toes and gave me a quick kiss on the lips, then ran back into her room.

My face turned bright red and my heart fluttered as I tried to make sense of what just happened, then smiled wide before continuing down the hall toward my own room.

‘I can’t believe she kissed me! And invited me to dinner!’ I thought, excited to tell Adira how it went.

My siblings should have returned awhile ago, and as I suspected, they were already in their rooms sitting on their beds in their nightware.

“Wow, dressed for bed already? How’d you get out of your clothes so fast, and where’d you put them?” I ask, shutting the door behind me. Adira shrugged, “Oh, you know... we gave them to the maids just to make sure they’re.... nice and clean for next time!” She forced a laughed, and I gave her a curious look.

It wasn’t long until I picked up on the issue at hand. "OH MY GOD WHY IS THERE MUD ALL OVER THE FLOOR!? I CAN’T LEAVE YOU TWO ALONE FOR ONE SECOND-"


	11. Crush pt. 3 (Adira)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira firmly believes she'll never fall in love... until she bumps into someone during the middle of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any typos, it’s almost 3:00am and my brain is all wonky. I’ll fix them in the morning.
> 
> The Dark Kingdom is well known for being very socially progressed. I mean, after all, they did have queens many generations ago who fought to protect the moonstone without a man by their side. This gave the people the impression that women didn’t have to live the the same way (cleaning, cooking, and caring for kids.) Women started becoming knights hundreds of years ago, and as time progressed, sexism became a very rare and shunned thing in the Dark Kingdom. Along with that, they had decided a few centuries ago to also allow same-sex marriage, being the first of many. The kingdom also houses many people of diverse nationalities and races, so racism/xenophobia is also not present in the D.K.
> 
> I know many people come to brotherhood fanfics for the brotherhood (duh), so I try to keep chapters with OC’s at a minimum so I don’t distract the writing from the three stars of the show. The only OC I have is Hailei (and technically Laurie and Ophelia, buuut they are real characters, just this time Laurie’s a princess. Plus, Disney killed them both off and barley said a darn thing about them, so in honor and respect for Eugene and Varian’s moms, I’m going to keep them alive and actually give them personalities and a purpose! (Yes I’m salty about it, I hate when characters/parents are killed off just for the fun of it). Aaaaanyways what I'm trying to say is don't worry, there will be plenty of chapters that are just of the siblings.
> 
> Also to answer any possible questions ahead of time, Kids 13 and up go to a different school than kids ages 5-12, so that’s why Hector isn’t walking with Adira and Quirin to school.
> 
> Edmund: 33  
> Ophelia: 32  
> Quirin: 15  
> Adira: 14  
> Laurie and Hailei: 13  
> Hector: 9

Adira’s POV:

“A scholar tries to learn something everyday; a student of Buddhism tries to unlearn something daily.” - Alan Watts

Back at the temples, there were no marriages. The villages outside of the temples had many married couples, but the monks did not practice such relationships. It was taught that marriage could cause suffering, so monks who lived in the temples stayed independent. This was also done because marriage was seen as something that could interfere with achieving enlightenment. Despite there being no marriages and therefore no children, the children raised by monks were usually orphans or children of former monks who left the lifestyle but wanted their children to grow up under a greater influence of the Buddha.

“We must walk the path alone.” I’ve heard this quote from the Buddha thousands of times as a kid. Over time, I’ve convinced myself that love was not for me, and that I was meant to be independent.

I proved a part of myself wrong after my journey toward the green light after the temples had been attacked. In under a year, I got two brothers placed into my life and I was shown the importance of love through family. Still though, I had left all the romantic love to everyone else... until as of recently.

It was around 2am when I had snuck out of my room to refill my bucket of stollen roasted nuts. I easily made my way down to the pantry area with no issues, filled the small bucket halfway, and happily skipped my way back down the halls and up the stairs. Although everything seemed to be going as planned, one of the knights must have come too early to their next stationed hall, as I heard a man shout “Hey! Stop right there!” followed by metal footsteps running towards me. I quickly picked up my pace, and ran all throughout the castle hoping to lose him. I turned back to see if he was following me as I took another corner, only to bump into something that made me fall back onto my hands, spilling the roasted nuts all over the floor.

“OOF!” I hear a girls voice exclaim, followed by a falling sound soon after as well. I look up, and see that the sound belonged to a girl near my age, who was now covered in roasted nuts. Although I wasn’t able to recognize her at first, she seemed oddly familiar.

“Oh dear! What have I done... I’m so sorry, Adira!” She cries out, looking at the mess on the floor. My eyes went wide, why was she the one apologizing? How did she know my name? Why was she up at this time of night? Who is she? I quickly got up and offered her a hand. “Oh please don’t apologize, the fault is all mine. I’m the fool who knocked down a stranger and covered her in spilled food.” I insisted, but she just laughed quietly and looked to the side after I had helped her to her feet. She sure was awfully pretty... she had a sweet face with nice long lashes and stunning dark hair. I also noticed she was Asian of some sort, possibly Chinese like me? I wasn’t too sure.

“Also, how’d you know my name? We’ve never talked before.” I say, and she looked up with embarrassment and shock. “Oh! Ahahaha... My uh... friend knows your brother and talks about him quite a lot so she mentioned you being his sister... that’s all!” She said nervously, putting her hands up. I nodded, still holding a suspicious face. “Ah, I see.”

We whipped our heads toward the sound of metal footsteps coming down the hall nearby, and then I felt her small hand grab my arm as she tugged me towards a door I’ve never been through before. “Come on! Hide in here!” She whispered, and I complied without any questions.

She shut the door behind us and locked it, turning to back to me. It appeared to be her bedroom, nicely decorated and even larger than my own shared bedroom. “Whoa, is this your room? It’s nice.” I say, and she gave a small smile. “Oh, yes! And thank you.” She chirped, then awkwardly stood in one place as I helped myself to looking around.

“So... what were you doing up at two in the morning? I suspect you weren’t also trying to get a snack refill.” I say teasingly, and she gives an awkward laugh. “Well, I sometimes like to go for walks throughout the castle. I have to do it at night though, because I’m not allowed to leave my room during the day, or at least without guards.” She says, shyly brushing her hair back and looking toward the floor.

“Guards? Why? I... oh wait a second! You’re Princess Hailei! That’s why your friend knows Quirin so well, you were talking about Princess Lauralie, weren’t you!? Also that’s why your room is so big!” I exclaim, and she looks at me with big eyes and a scared expression. “Yes... but you can’t... uh... I’m not supposed to have people in my room so you can’t tell people you were ever here-“ she started to say, but was interrupted by a loud knock at her door.  
“Princess? Are you alright in there? If you’re awake please open the door for me.” A knight said, who seemed out of breath. She shot her head back at me. “Quick! Hide in the dressing room!” She said as she pushed me toward the large wardrobe room connected to her bedroom. “Alright but-“ I say as she frantically urged me to go inside. I wanted to ask why she couldn’t hang out with anyone ever, but she had shut the door before I could ask. I assume it was because of her being a refugee in hiding, but keeping her locked away from all of society (with the exception of Princess Lauralie and the king and queen) seemed a bit... inhumane? I looked through the crack of the door to see her put her mask back on and crack open her bedroom door.

“Hello sir knight, how may I help you?” She said in a fake sleepy voice.

“Sorry to bother you princess, but a girl was seen out after curfew and ran in this direction. I wanted to make sure she didn’t make her way into here and that you’re safe. I believe she dropped her things outside in the hall.” He answered, but she just shook her head politely. “No sir, there is no girl in here. I hope you find her, but maybe she’s back in her room. Best of luck.” She responded, and he had just thanked her and wished her a good night.

Once he left, she re-locked her door and took her mask off. I came out of the wardrobe room and sat on her ottoman. “Thanks for that.” I smiled, then tried to bring back the topic that was interrupted. “So... you can’t see anybody outside of the royal family?” I ask, and she nods with a sad look. “Yeah... it takes one wrong person to find me and spread rumours of where I’m located. If the Qiandga Warriors knew I was here, they’d have me killed for sure.” She said with a sigh, sitting on her bed across from me. I nodded to show my understanding, then looked around some more.

“Hey, is that pink fire?” I ask curiously as I point to the lit candles in her room. Hailei suddenly becomes nervous again. “Pink? Oh uh, yeah. It’s... the candles that make it pink! They have special, uh, chemicals.” She insisted, but I knew it was a lie. What was she hiding?

“... I’m sorry about your roasted nuts.” She said, trying to change the subject. I would have laughed, but I didn’t want to embarrass her. She just was too sweet to mess with. Although I love pranking and teasing people, I’d definitely spare her of my mischief.

“It’s okay, I’ll get more tomorrow.” I insisted. She nodded, happy that I wasn’t upset. “I’m not sure how I’m going to get out of here though, their schedules must have changed or something so I have no idea when the guards are going to pass by.” I huffed, trying to think of a different plan.

“You could stay here for the night and make your way back to your room before you have to leave for school tomorrow! My bed is plenty big for two people.” She offered, patting the giant bed that could fit an army. I laughed, “that’s true, your bed is gigantic.” I get up and stretch. “But I’d hate to be a bother. I’ll find my way out I think.” I say, about to head for the door.

“No wait! Please?” She said, hand out toward me. I look back at her confused, and she cringed of embarrassment over her begging. “I mean uh, I don’t want you to get caught! And uh... I never get to see new people. Please stay, I insist.” She corrects herself, trying to smile away her awkwardness. I relax my face and smile back at the lonely girl. “Okay, if you insist.” I sit back down, and she gasps of excitement. “Yay!! I mean- I’m glad.” She says, trying to keep a proper composure. I snicker at her corrections. “You don’t need to put up the whole ‘elegant princess‘ act around me.” I promised her. She seemed unsure at first, but eventually sighed and gave a small head bow to me. “Thank you, Adira.” She then had finally let herself relax.

“So, Hailei, tell me about yourself.” I say, getting comfortable as well.

_________________________

Although we were supposed to sleep, we had talked all the way up until 6:00am, where I had to get ready for school. It definitely took me by surprise, but nonetheless I was glad I got to get to know such an interesting girl. Quirin, however, was very worried when I made my way back to the room.

“Adira! Where have you been?” He asked anxiously, but I just smiled calmly. “I’ll explain on the walk to school.” I promised  
“Fine, but hurry and get dressed, you’re still in your nightgown.” He pointed out.

_________________________

“And her favorite color is pink, but the bright purple-y kind. She even had this weird pink fire in her room... it was amazing! I don’t know how she made the pink fire, but maybe I’ll find out someday. Her favorite song is ‘The Flower of Hsin-Jang,’ she likes to paint and play the Erhu, her favorite food is roasted duck! Have you ever had roasted duck before Quirin? I’ll answer for you, no. She also used to be a dancer back at her empire. She moved so smoothly... like petals in the wind! She’s just so pretty too... like a flower fully bloomed. Also, her voice is so sweet like the sugary-est pastry you’ve ever eaten!” I went on, looking at the clouds above us as we walked our way over to the school. I noticed Quirin had been awfully quiet, so I turned to see him just dumbfoundly starring at me. “What?” I ask, and he just raised his eyebrows and looked ahead at the path in front of us. “Wow. My little sister snuck into the runaway princess’s room and fell in love with her over night. Literally.” He said, talking to himself out loud. “In love? No no no. What makes you think that?” I object. How could he think of such a crazy thing? I don’t like people like that. _”We must walk this path alone”!! Remember!!??_ I thought to myself. Quirin turns his head back to me again, looking unimpressed. “I just listened to you talk about her for twenty minutes non-stop, including a very detailed description of her aura color and ‘why you think it suits her eyes.’ It almost terrified me, I thought you had gotten possessed by some ghost who actually feels romantic towards someone.” He laughed at the end, elbowing my arm. I look back at him with an annoyed look. “There’s no way though... I don’t like her, do I?” I ask aloud, and I hear Quirin snicker, “I’d bet all the money in the world that you do.” I rolled my eyes, “whatever, it’s not like I can see her anymore. Like she said, if someone found out she and I hung out, we’d both be in trouble... and I’m not even supposed to tell you so keep your mouth shut!” I say, trying not to think about the fact that I might never get to hang out with her ever again. He groaned and looked toward the sky. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Adira! You do things you’re not supposed to do on the daily, but when it comes to seeing someone you like -which is a miracle in itself- you back out? That’s not like you. I’m usually not one to motivate your... sneaky plans and shenanigans... but for the love of god don’t give up so soon!” He exclaimed, and I look at him with shock.

“Wow Quirin, that’s very unlike you. I get what you’re trying to say... but how on earth am I going to still see her if I’m not allowed anywhere where people can see?” I say, but then he just smirks at me.

“Oh, I know a place.” He eerily said under his breath.

“You’re scaring me, Hector and I are rubbing off on you too much.” I say as he then fakes an evil laugh.

“Stop that!” I laugh back at him and playfully kick the back of his shin.

_____________________________

Quirin and Princess Laurie led me into the private garden as I followed them a few steps behind. “Oh I’m so excited for Hailei! She’ll be so happy! Eek!” Princess Laurie shrieked happily as she held her boyfriends hand. Quirin chuckled at her excitement. “Thanks for helping us out, Laurie. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without you and your skilled charm toward the guards.” He replied, and I spoke up as well. “Yes, thank you so much. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.” I say, and she turns to give a cheerful smile. “No problem! The honor is all mine. Just don’t forget to let her leave first so the guards don’t see that you were in there too.” She reminded.

Quirin came up with the idea to have Hailei and I meet together near the royal family garden’s lake. He said that the guards would wait for her at the entrance of the garden only, as it was a rule that only the royal family and their guests may enter, with the exception of gardeners. Therefore, if I entered the garden first before the guards showed up with her and left after she does, I could meet her comfortably with no issues. Princess Laurie had told Hailei the whole plan, and she had ‘happily agreed.’ Right now I’m being led to the area where we shall meet, so I can set up the blanket and food for us to share as we spend time with one another once more. I felt my heart flutter, which was definitely a new experience for me. Maybe this is why Quirin kept complaining about being so nervous around Princess Laurie when they were just starting to date... I felt like my heart was going to explode!

We finally made it to our destination, where they left me to set up after wishing me luck. Half an hour later, I heard small footsteps come closer toward my direction.  
“Adira?” The tiny voice said. I turn around, smiling at the masked girl, and patted the spot next to me. “Hey! Long time no see.” I joke, and she came closer and sat on the blanket beside me. “Yes, it’s good to see you again. The food looks delicious!” She compliments while taking off her mask and setting it to the side. She then points at one of the biggest dishes. “Is that...!?” She exclaims, and I nod while laughing, “It is.” “Roasted duck!? No way!” Hailei excitedly starts to cut herself some, and continues to give her thanks.

_________________________

It had been a little over a month of seeing her every other day in the royal gardens. As time went by, I noticed her start to show more and more genuine happiness in her face and voice. I think she was also interested in me the way I was interested in her. I know the monks told me that my path must be walked on alone, but... I feel no ‘struggles’ when I’m with her. Plus, my brothers have showed me that paths are better to be walked on with loved ones by your side. She makes me smile, she compliments my cooking, she shows me her dances while I show her my fighting skills I’ve picked up during training (with an invisible opponent, of course), we practice yoga and meditation to together, she paints while I carve wooden trinkets for her, and she and I share similar cultures from our childhood, which is hard to find in such a far kingdom like this one.

Although we’re much different people, we still have some sort of connection that just makes us seem like we are meant to be... like a bee and a flower or meat pies and melted chocolate (Quirin says that’s gross, but what does he know about flavor? Chocolate meat pies are delicious!).

Tonight was a full moon, which lead to Quirin pointing out that it would be the perfect night to have our first kiss because it’ll be ‘romantic’ or whatever. I’m not too sure what a full moon has to do with romance, but I’m no expert on this whole ‘love’ thing still so I’ll take his word for it.

Instead of sitting in a canoe on the lake, we sat on a stone bench not too far from the shore. It seemed like the water scared her, but I didn’t ask her why because it seemed like she didn’t want to talk about it.

“The moon’s very pretty. It was never this bright back home.” She sighed, leaning on my shoulder. I blush, and force a chuckle. “Yeah, it’s the one thing everyone can love about this place I guess.” I almost slapped myself as Quirin told me to look out for her saying something like that. He said that if she called the moon pretty, I should say ‘you’re prettier’ or some romantic crap like that! Dang it!

We sat in silence for a few minutes as we starred up at the moon above us. I never knew I could feel this... anxious. Maybe this was the struggle the monks tried to warn me about. Even if that’s the truth, I pushed that thought to the side. I didn’t need to walk this path alone, I had her.

“Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.” I quote, breaking the silence.

She pulled her head up from my shoulder, thinking for a moment. “To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others.” She replied back. And I blinked at her knowledge of French poetry.

“Anne Sophie Swetchine?” I say, and she nods. “My brother found a book of her poems in our room’s bookshelf when he first got here. She’s very talented.” I mention, and she just smiles and turns to me. Her expression was... what was it? Her eyes were all droopy but she had this specific smile on her face that didn’t make her droopy eyes look tired or sad. Her cheeks were pink from blushing, but she didn’t look embarrassed or feverish. What was this expression?

Ah, I know what it is. It’s that look Quirin and Princess Laurie give each other when I see them talking to one another... or when Hector sees a stray dog.

...Love.

I noticed her face inch closer to mine, making my face feel hot. I slowly got closer as well, turning my head a bit to the side. Seconds later, our lips touched. Her lips were soft and delicate, like her. It felt like the world around us disappeared, and everything around us went up in sweet, sweet flames. I could have sworn I literally saw fire appear near the girl’s side where her free hand was, but whatever it was, she shooed it away before I could even really notice. Not that I would care anyways, because a meteor could crash down right beside us in this moment and I probably would even care.

However, I was wrong, as something did catch my attention. Something much worse than a meteor.

I heard a gasp at the lake area’s entrance, and we both shot our heads toward the sound in surprise.

It was Queen Ophelia.

“Your majesty! I can explain!” Hailei started, voice shaking.

Princess Lauralie peered out behind her mother, a look of sadness and guilt on her face. “I tried to stop her from coming down here... I really did!” Lauralie cried out, but Ophelia had just shushed her and walked closer to us.

“Young ladies, do you understand how reckless and dangerous this is?” The queen said with a raised voice as she crossed her arms. I gulped.

“I overheard my daughter speaking to her boyfriend -your brother, Adira- about your little date tonight.” She explained, and Laurie gave an embarrassed smile, shyly clicking the tips of her shoes together. She was a joy to have around, but boy oh boy was her mouth the size of a black hole.

“How long have you two been doing this?” Ophelia questioned, making Hailei look at the ground in shame. “Five weeks, your highness.” She said weakly. Ophelia sighed, holding the bridge of her nose. “Dear, when your father sent you with a letter, that letter demanded that we take all fissible precautions to keep you safe. I know it must feel terrible to have such a limited life, but it takes one person to say something. Sooner or later, you'll have people hunting you for a reward or worse, the warriors themselves will show up at our castle’s doorstep, ready to demolish everything in their path so they can have your head. Is that what you want? I certainly don’t want that.” She lectured, and Hailei silently shook her head.

“But Adira loves her! She’d never tell a single soul! C’mon Mom! A life completely shut out from the world isn’t a life worth living, and she needs more than you, dad, and I for company.” Laurie pleaded behind her. Ophelia sighed, giving her an annoyed but empathetic look. “I know that sweetheart, but the risks are too high.” She argued back.

“I won’t live a life without her. I will do whatever it takes to stay in the shadows, I promise, but only as long as Adira is in the shadows with me. I can’t keep living like this! I’d rather turn myself in than live a life where I have to shut her out!” Hailei shouted, startling everyone around her. Ophelia held fear in her eyes, which was a rare sight to see. “Hailei, please calm down. Adira, step away from her immediately.” Ophelia commanded, and instead of protesting, I listened right away because something told me that Ophelia was truly commanding me to do so for my own sake.

“No! I won’t calm down! You can’t take her away too! My home was already taken away from me, I’m not losing anyone or anything else!” She shouted louder, and suddenly the grass at her feet started to catch aflame.

The fire was the same pink that I had seen in her room a month ago...

“I understand, Hailei. We will work something out. Just please, calm down or I’ll have to get the water.” Ophelia warned. Hailei automatically became scared of that threat, making the flames shoot up even higher. I just starred at the scene in awe, while Princess Laurie didn’t look surprised in the slightest. If anything, she just looked sad for the girl. The flames continued to grow stronger, inching it’s way closer towards us. Although the flames burnt the grass it was caught on and heat could be felt where I stood, Hailei, however, was completely unbothered by the fire’s contact on her skin. I put my curiosity to the side though, as I feared the whole garden might come down in flames.

“Hailei, if you put out the flames, I’ll let Adira see you in your room whenever you want. I’ll let you two come down here whenever! Hell, if you’re disguised enough I’ll let you go wherever you want! Just please... put. the. flames. out.” Ophelia begged, but it still wasn’t enough.

I had to interfere.

“Hailei, it’s okay, you don’t have to feel scared or upset.” I spoke out, and she looked up from her lap, anger and fear leaving her face. The flames slowly became smaller, but still stood. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I promise I’ll stick by your side. I know this is scary for you. I know it’s hard to lose your home and I know it’s hard to have to run away from everyone you know and love. I’ve been there, I promise! I also know I’ve only known you for a month and we’re both still young, but I think it’s important for me to let you know that Princess Laurie wasn’t lying... I do love you.” I say, and the flames all slowly die out.

She wipes a tear from her eye, and looks down at the ground from embarrassment over the scene she had just made. “Is.. is that true?” She asks softly. I walk up to her, showing I’m not afraid of the mysterious powers that the event had just presented to me. “Yeah.” I kneel down in front of her, giving her a smile.

“I love you too, Adira.” She whispered.

Ophelia clears her throat, and sighs. “I hope you two don’t mess this up.” She obviously implied that she wasn’t fond of letting us see each other still, but from what I could tell, she was going to keep her promise from earlier. “I’m going to discuss this with King Edmund. Laurie, come with me. I think Hailei might need to explain some things before they leave for bed.” Queen Ophelia motioned to the exit as Laurie trailed behind. “Yes, mother.” She sighed, but looked back at us with a smile. “Everything will be fine.” Princess Laurie mouthed to us.

Once they left, I turned back to Hailei and waited for an explanation. She blushed, and looked away.

“So uh... I bet you’re wondering about the whole... fire thing.” She said quietly. I tilted my head and gave her a sad smile. “Yeah... a little.” I admitted.

“Have you heard of the ‘Legend of The Dragon’ before?” She asked, twiddling her thumbs. “Yes actually, my master told me about it when I was little. Something about a man who could end all wars with his ability to command dragons and turn into one himself... I thought it was just some big metaphor though, right?” I say, sitting next to her on the bench.  
She shook her head, “Actually, no. The Dragon is very real... every time the world faces a war too powerful, The Dragon reincarnates and is born again. It’s their destiny to grow up and gain their highest power to end any war that’s out of hand.” She explained, and I started to understand.

“Ah.” I nod, “You’re ‘The Dragon.’” She nods back at me slowly, confirming my theory. Hailei soon wipes another tear from her cheek, and gives further explanation. “The Qiandga Warriors found out that it was me after someone saw me accidentally make fire out in public. Rumors spread, and they wanted to kill me so I wouldn’t grow up to stop them someday. My parents sent me to a kingdom that is unknown to many, where I’d be safe. So... here I am.” She shrugs, then groans while pounding a fist on the bench. “But it’s not fair! Why does it have to be me!? I’m just a tiny girl with no strength or courage whatsoever... why couldn’t it be how everyone draws ‘The Dragon’ to be in all the legends and books!? Some big, strong man who looks like he knows a thing or two about combat!!” She shouts, but I just put a hand on her back. “I know it seems frustrating when you’re given a destiny that doesn’t seem right, but sometimes... that destiny ends up doing lots of good. Even if you go through lots of struggles, maybe you’ll understand further down the road.” I say, thinking back on my own past.

She sighed, and leaned against me once more. “I guess so... but the thought of something so important in my hands is so... scary. I don’t want to walk this path alone.” Hailei replied, but then I turned to her with a soft smile.

“I’ll walk it with you.” I promised.


	12. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector insists on reading a scary story before bed, despite that fact that he commonly gets nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is awfully fluffy with a tiny bit of angst. I’m trying to think of chapters that are more of an adventure or a scene where they’re causing mischief/shenanigans, but I’m struggling on finding something that can be written out long enough. Wow that’s some odd English that I just used there... I’m tired. Anyways, I’ll think of something soon. If you have an idea for something crazy they could do, don’t hesitate to let me know! I’ll give your idea credit and everything of course too. You could comment it or message me @bbbrotherhood on tumblr. Oh and one more thing, I don’t know if it’s common for siblings to tell each other “I love you,” but my siblings and I say that all the time sooo I apologize if that comes off as weird or un-sibling-like in this chapter. I’ll blame it on the different time period hahaha.
> 
> Edmund: 30  
> Ophelia: 29  
> Quirin: 12  
> Adira: 11  
> Laurie and Hailei: 10  
> Hector: 6

Hector’s POV:

Ever since my mother had left me, I started having nightmares. I’d often have nightmares about being abandoned by my momma, brother, or sister; but I occasionally dreamt of drowning from a flood caused by the rain as I’m stuck in the scrapyard, or falling to my death, or even vines grabbing me and consuming my body. Sometimes I’d wake up silently, and other times I’d wake up screaming, waking up my siblings along with me. I felt bad about it, but Quirin and Adira insisted that it was okay and not my fault. 

Queen Ophelia had gotten me a stuffed rhino and tiger after she found out I was having nightmares, which was around the time I had officially moved in to the Dark Kingdom’s castle. She visited me often to make sure I was adjusting well, and had asked what my favorite thing in the whole world was. I of course told her animals, so the next day she had come bearing gifts so I had both comfort items to help me sleep, and toys to play with as well. I decided to name the tiger Apollo, and the rhino Benny! They’re my best friends.

Quirin also let me sleep in his bed with him if I wanted to. He said that if the nightmares were really bad, I could even wake him up and talk to him about it. Usually though, I just wiggled under the covers and snuggled next to his side. His presence _did_ calm me, I have to admit. The feeling of weight and warmth beside me reminded me that I wasn’t alone and that I now had a big brother -and sister- to protect me if I was ever feeling afraid. And although I like to act tough and unbothered by the world, I still felt comfortable telling my siblings when I needed help, because I trust them more than anyone in the world (except for Benny and Apollo. They’re _really_ good at keeping secrets). After all, they did save me from the scrapyard and convinced the royal family to let them adopt me as their little brother. No one has ever done anything that nice for me before.

Quirin had set up a bedtime routine for all of us that he insisted we followed in order to keep ‘healthy and well rested,’ whatever that means. We all had to get into our pajamas after coming back from dinner, but I had to go to bed earlier than they did. I crawl into bed at 8 while Quirin and Adira read me a bedtime story. After that, however, they get to stay up for two more hours. I think that’s totally unfair, but I learned not to argue with Quirin because he’s in charge and that means he can put my toys in the ‘box of shame’ on a shelf that’s too high up for me to reach.

The clock’s little hand had just now moved to 8, so Quirin got up and went to the bookshelf. "Alright little brother, time for bed. What story do you want me to read tonight?" He asked. I thought for a moment, "The book with the forest on the cover!" I insisted. However, Quirin was not as excited about that book as he frowned at the request. "Uh, I don’t think you’d like that book Hector, it’s a ghost story. Plus it’s Adira’s book so you’d have to ask her first." "Yeah, I don’t think you would want to hear that story. You’d get too scared." Adira responded, and I scowled at her. "No I won’t! It’s just a story!” I yell, and she sticks her tongue out at me. I throw one of my small pillows at her, yet she catches it and places it behind her head with a smirk. I growl at her, but give up soon after to try to convince Quirin to read the story. “Pleeeaaase big brother? I promise I won’t get scared!" I beg, using my ‘puppy dog face’ (it works about 80% of the time). He thinks for a moment, then sighs. "Fine. But if you start getting scared we’re picking a different book. My bed or yours?" He asks, and I hop off the edge of my bed. "Yours." I say, and Quirin makes his way to his bed with the book. "Bring your rhino and tiger." He reminded since I never sleep without them. "Kay." I complied as I grabbed Benny and Apollo and tucked them in beside me after I got comfy under the covers.

Quirin settles next to me in the center of the bed, waiting for Adira to join beside him as well. Once my sister had finally laid down, he opened the book. 

"The Legend of the Forest of No Return." He read the title, flipping to the first page. 

“Somewhere far away, there lies a forest full of monsters, demons, and dark magic. 

Four children had decided to travel to the mysterious forest, as they had heard the rumors of the riches that lie within the forest’s heart. 

Once they had entered the forest, they had promised to stick together, no matter what. 

They had walked across a bridge, and travelled down a long trail. As they traveled further, hundreds of beautiful flowers started to surround the pathway. Persephone, the smallest child, loved flowers oh so dearly. She bent down to pluck a flower from the ground, and put it in her basket.

The earth beneath the children had suddenly started to rumble, making them fall to the ground. A giant venus flytrap monster had sprouted out right in front of them, and had eaten little Persephone in one. whole. bite.

The kids screamed as loud as the could as they ran further down the path, leaving their eaten little sister behind.”

“Well she shouldn’t have picked the flowe-“ “Shh- Hector listen.” Adira hushed, bringing her arm behind Quirin and across the bed to flick the side of my head. “Ow!” I exclaim.

“Stop it you two! As I was saying... once they were far from monster, the children stopped to get a drink of water at a nearby creek. Once they got to the creek, they saw a stone with writing that read ‘if you are to drink the water, take only a handful.’ Two of the three children listened, only drinking the amount of water that could fit in their hands. However the third child, Gaston, was so thirsty from all the running he had just done. He drank straight from the creek, taking way more that what his hands could have held. Suddenly, a swamp monster rose out from the waters, and had ripped the child’s limbs off one by one.”

My eyes widen, but I keep a calm expression so they don’t think I’m getting scared. I mean, the story isn’t THAT bad. I’m fine! They don’t know what they’re talking about!

“The last two children run away yet again, until they see what looked like piles of gold sitting in the middle of a cleared area. The sister, Juliet, had ran to the center, happy to see the treasure they were looking for. The boy, Murt, had decided to stay away from the pile of gold instead. He had warned his sister not to steal from the forest, as it could be a trap. Juliet, however, had not listened, and began to put as much gold in her bag as she could find. 

Suddenly, a faceless man had appeared from the trees, with blood staining his ragged clothes. “What are you doing with my gold!?” He shouted, making the girl freeze in fear. She did not answer, and I’m seconds, the girl had been massacred by the faceless man. 

Murt ran for what felt like days, fearful of getting caught by any of the monsters that had killed his siblings. The boy had taken lefts and rights all throughout the forest, but alas he had ended up in the same spot where his sister was killed over and over and over.

No one knows what had ever happened to the last living child, as he never had returned home. Some say the last trace of him is a carving in a tree that reads ‘The Forest of No Return’”

Quirin shut the book, and slowly started to get out of the bed once Adira had moved out of the way. “Alright now time for you to go to sleep.” He said as he put the book back on the shelf. “That story wasn’t scary at all!” I said proudly, feeling completely unaffected. “Oh sure, it’s not scary until the swamp monster is under your bed, ready to rip off your arms and legs!” Adira taunted, and I felt a chill down my spine.

“Adira! Don’t say that!” Quirin scolded, but she had just shrugged and comfortably laid back on her bed with her arms behind her back. “Whatever... the swamp monster wouldn’t even be under someone’s bed, he’d be in a swamp, duh.”

“... the faceless man however-“  
“Adira! Enough!” Quirin interrupted her before she could go on, and I gulped. “What if... he _is_ under the bed?” I ask, voice shaking a little. Quirin just groans and looks up at the ceiling. He then sighed and spoke in a calm manner, “Hector, she was just trying to scare you. There are no monsters under the bed and there never will be.”

“Can you still check?” I ask, giving him pleading eyes again. He thought for a moment, thinking of a way to object, but eventually caved in. “Sure, I’ll check for monsters. But then you have to go to sleep, got it?” He said as he walked over and leaned down to look under the bed. “Got it.” I say. After about two seconds of looking, he stood back up. “No monsters. Now go to bed, please.” Quirin said before ruffling my hair and blowing out the candles with the exception of one in order to give him and Adira some light still.

_____________________________

_Adira and Quirin ran through the forest in front of me as I tried my best to catch up as we were all running from a monster of some sort. No matter how hard I tried, they seemed to run faster than me. Eventually, I felt myself run as if I was in some sort of slow motion, my siblings getting further and further ahead of me._

_“Brother! Sister! Wait up! Please don’t leave me!” I beg, but they just keep running. My heart is pounding out of my chest, and it keeps getting harder and harder to breathe. Whatever I was running from was starting to catch up to me as I felt it’s presence get closer. I look down as I feel something grab my leg, and see a vine starting to ravel around me. I panic, trying to get away from the vine’s hold, but it just keeps getting worse and worse. It eventually starts to suffocate me as it whispers my name._

_“...Hector...”_

_Please stop..._

_“Hector...”_

_Quirin, Adira, please help me..._

_“Hector?”_

_Please just make it stop_

_“HECTOR!?”_

My eyes flew open, seeing Quirin and Adira hover over me with concerned looks. 

“Hector! Are you alright? You were screaming in your sleep again.” Quirin said tiredly, but with sadness in his voice. I usually said yes, but this time I couldn’t lie. My eyes stung as tears started to stream down my face. I gave out a choked cry, and before I knew it I was met with the embrace of my brother. “Hey, shhh it’s alright. We’re right here. It was just a dream.” My older brother comforted as I sobbed into his chest. I hadn’t cried like this in a long time, so they were both taken by surprise. I felt another hand start rubbing my back, recognizing it right away and knowing it was Adira’s. “Y-you left me.” I wailed, remembering them leaving me behind in my dream. “What do you mean, Hector?” Quirin tried to ask in a calm manner. 

“W-w-we were being chased a-a-and I couldn’t keep up. You both kept going and it-it- got me!” I further explain, leaning further into the embrace of my brother. They both gave a sad sigh. “I’m sorry Hector. We would never do that in real life though, we would both give our lives to protect you, that’s a promise.” Adira said softly, trying to catch my eye and give me a smile. I lean away from Quirin’s embrace to wipe my eyes. “R-really?” I ask, and she chuckles. “Really-really.” 

The two decide to lay away with me until I fall back asleep, keeping my mind distracted from my nightmare. Adira told me about what they did during training yesterday, and Quirin told me about some of the constellations in the sky. 

“That’s the Cygnus, and that one over there is the Orion.” He said, pointing out the window.

“What are those colored stars over there?” I ask, pointing to the yellow, green, and red starts in the sky bundled up together. Quirin shrugged, “I’m not sure little brother. They aren’t in my books and the yellow and red one had only started appearing a few years ago. Maybe they’ve only just been born.” I tilt my head and squint at the mysterious stars in the sky. I then had yawned, and rubbed my eyes. Now that I was feeling better, I made the decision to lay back down on the bed and try to go back to sleep. Quirin and Adira had soon joined me, yawning as well.

I was so thankful to have two siblings who cared so much for me. Sometimes I forget how much they do for me.

“Goodnight... love y’all.” I say, starting to drift off to sleep.  
“Goodnight, love you too.” They both say in return, blowing out the candle.


	13. Weirdo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira, always so confident and strong, gets picked on by a group of girls from school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edmund: 29  
> Ophelia: 28  
> Quirin: 11  
> Adira: 10  
> Laurie and Hailei: 9  
> Hector: 5

Adira’s POV:

I’ve always naturally been a tough girl. I’m confident in myself, I’m strong mentally and physically, and I can beat up anyone who crosses my path! One time I even challenged a big ruffian to a fight at the local pub in trade for his large steak he ordered. (I don’t know why Quirin was so upset about that though, I mean I shared some with him so what’s the problem?!) Hector thought it was fun to watch and dragged me around town to have me challenge more people in order to get more things. We ended up getting a dagger, an animal skull of some kind, throwing knifes, a yo-yo, four bags of candy, an amulet, and even a wedding cake for some odd reason. However once King Edmund started getting complaints from his citizens, I had to stop and wasn’t allowed out of the castle for two whole weeks.

I like being tough though. I’ve been taught to love myself and who I am, embracing both my talents and flaws. Because of this, I’ve never really been one to get my feelings hurt. I didn’t mind when the pub guys taunted me for being a little girl, or when the maids talked behind my back about my masculine mannerisms and clothing preferences, or even when I overheard the teachers say that I was too big for a girl my age. It didn’t bother me, because what they didn’t like about me was their own problem. The only thing that mattered to me was how I felt about myself.

Well... for the most part.

While Quirin was helping Hector with his homework, I decided to out into town to find something fun to do. I debated visiting the candy shop or even sneaking into the pub to hopefully watch a fight go down or something, but my attention went straight to the kids who were playing a small game of tag. I recognized some of them from school, so I walked towards them and got their attention. Some of them stopped to see what I wanted while a few others continued to laugh and run around. “Greetings! Mind if I join?” I ask, expecting a yes per usual when I ask to join other kids’ games. I’ve joined countless games of four-square, kick ball, mud fights, and capture the flag before with random children all around the kingdom. It was just a natural thing for kids to do: making friends in a matter of seconds over play.

This time, however, that did not happen. The people who had stopped were three girls. Two who looked my age, and one who looked a bit younger. After I asked if I could join, they gave an odd look then glanced at each other. The younger girl on the right whispered something to the girl in the center, then dropped her hand to give a disgusted face. The girl in the center soon spoke up. “Sorry, we don’t let weirdos play with us.” She said as she looked me up and down, giving a sarcastically apologetic face. 

Weirdo?

My face blushed and I felt blood rush down the back of my neck, yet I still tried to keep my cool.

“Weirdo? What makes me weird?” I say with a neutral tone. The girls were shocked at my unaffected expression, but still scoffed at my further questioning.

“Faith says you’re in her class. You only play with boys and act like one too. Plus, you look funny with your white hair and that stuff on your face. She also said you’re always saying weird stuff and always eating all the time.”

I blinked, then shrugged. “Well alright then, have fun playing without me.” I say with a touch of sarcasm, turning away and heading back home. I didn’t want candy anymore, I just wanted to be alone.

The walk was somewhat long, but thankfully it was only me on the trail. I fought back tears, trying not to think about what had just happened.

_Weirdo? I’m not a weirdo, am I? I mean, Master Gen always said I was eccentric, but when he said that it was like he was describing his favorite piece of artwork or song. And... what’s wrong with my face paint? My little brother always thought it was so cool... he even begged me to help him have his own. Also, what’s wrong with playing with boys? Does it matter who I play with? I thought that didn’t matter here..._

The girl’s words kept replaying in my mind over and over as I made my way up the castles long staircases. No matter how many times I tried wiping my tears away, they always returned soon after. When I got to my room, I quietly opened the door and walked straight to my bed.

“Hey Adira, why back so early? I thought you were going into town- hey, what’s wrong?” Quirin asked with a concerned look, immediately putting his school materials away to come check on me. I’ve never cried in front of anyone before, and come to think of it I don’t think I’ve ever even cried since I was a baby (with the exception of when Master Gen left me). I hated feeling so vulnerable and weak.

I just hid under my covers, trying to minimize the sounds of my cries to the best of my ability. It wasn’t too long until I felt weight on my bed. 

“...Adira?” Quirin repeated, this time much softer. 

“Go away.” I cried, covering the sound of my sobs into my pillow. 

“Are you sure?” He asked with the same soft tone, but I could tell he was very concerned even without seeing the expression on his face.

“Y-yes!” I cry out, but soon feel a much smaller weight jump on my bed and crawl on top of me.

“Hector! Get off! She’s not in the mood right now!” I hear Quirin yell as he gets up from my bed. 

Despite his pleas, Hector ignored his orders as he tried to jump on top of me and tickle me through the covers while giggling. Although I was irritated at him for not leaving me alone, I couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s attempt to cheer me up, as this was exactly what I did with him any time he was upset.

“Hector!” Quirin warned again, but he continued to bounce on top of me. I decided to cave in, and peered out of the covers to wrestle with the little pest. Once we were too exhausted to continue, I looked over to see Quirin giving me a silent but worried look. “I’ll tell you later.” I mouthed, not wanting Hector to know about what had happened. I hated having people see me insecure or vulnerable, but Quirin had this special charm around advise and comfort. It’s like I could tell him anything in the world, and he’d never see me differently. I mean, I don’t think Hector would ever judge me either, but I want to keep the “unbreakable big sister” image strong in his head for as long as possible.

Quirin nodded while giving a caring look, relieved that I was already feeling better. He and Hector still had more work to go over, so he had to drag Hector back to the desk to finish up the last of his math homework. 

_________________________

Hector’s POV:

My big sister is so awesome! A few weeks ago, she fought all these bad guys (although Quirin said they weren’t bad guys, just normal villagers) and won all this cool stuff! She even gave me a yo-yo and a bag of candy! I wish I could be as strong as her, but I’m still too young to learn all that fighting stuff like she and Quirin do. Although she said that if I work hard enough, someday I can be a good fighter too! 

But today something was wrong, and I wish I knew why.

After being forced against my own will to do math homework for what felt like forever, she came back from her walk all upset. I’ve never seen her cry before, so it must have been real bad. Whenever I was angry or sad, she’d always cheer me up by ticking me or wrestling me, so I tried to do the same for her and eventually she started feeling better.

I still didn’t know what happened though, so when I had to go to bed, I secretly just pretended to be asleep so I could maybe hear her talk about it. After about half an hour of waiting, I heard Quirin speak up.

“It looks like he’s finally asleep. So... what happened earlier today?” He asked, followed by the sound of someone sitting on a bed.

I heard Adira sigh, “It’s kinda dumb really... it doesn’t matter. Let’s just forget about it.” 

“That’s not true, sister. I could tell that you were really hurt earlier and I just want to help.” 

“Well... fine. I saw some girls playing tag and asked them if I could join and... they didn’t like that idea all too much.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I asked why and they called me a weirdo who only plays with boys and has weird stuff on my face and blah blah blah... I just calmly left and made my way back here right after.”

“ _Oh Adira..._ they just sound like they’re mean girls, none of that is true.”

“I know, I know... it’s just... I’ve always loved who I am, and to have that not only prevent me from playing with others but to also be called weird? It made me feel... like a freak or something. My master would always talk about me in such a positive manner, and to have that be made into a joke really hurt me.”

“It is a positive thing. Adira, without you and your fun personality, I’d probably still be stuck up in this room all day doing nothing and being bored out of my mind. We’d also not have Hector, and we’d never laugh as much as we do, we’d never have as much fun as we do, and we’d definitely be a lot thinner from the lack of excessive stollen snacks.” Quirin says, making them both laugh at the end. 

Adira sighed, then gave a soft “Thank you, brother.” 

“Anytime, sister. I’ll always be here to talk.”

“Those girls didn’t even look like all that much fun anyways... they were so slow. I’d probably tag them all in under a minute.” Adira scoffed.

“Oh yeah, who were those girls anyway? Did you know them?”

“Faith, Anne, and Mariah... all students at our school.”

“Huh, Interesting. I might have to have a word with them tomorrow.” Quirin says, and I hear Adira laugh.

“Oh I’m sure karma will get them instead.”

I don’t know who this “karma” is, but it’s about to be me.

______________________

“Alright Cornelius, Gregory, and Pablo... hang tight and be quiet until it’s time for lunch.” I say as I sneak into the cubby room. I look around the lunch pails and spot Faith, Anne, and Mariah’s names on three aligned boxes. Making sure they have a small opening for air, I place each toad in a separate pail. Once my job was done, I scurried back to the classroom before anyone saw.

_______________________

Lunchtime had finally arrived, and all students began to sit at their tables. I sat with my siblings per usual, glancing at the table where the three girls sat at. It wasn’t long before the girls started squealing and getting up from their table, making everyone stare as my friends hopped all around their food. The room soon echoed with laughter as the girls tried to run away from the toads, who had now started to chase them down. 

Adira was laughing her butt off too, until abruptly stopping with a dumbfound expression. She then looked at Quirin, then me. “Hector?” She said, not able to find any other words. “What?” I ask, pretending to not know anything. She then had just smiled, and ruffled my hair. “You didn’t have to do that, kiddo.” I smile back at her, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, It wasn’t me!” I playfully joke. I thought Quirin would be mad, but when I turned to look at him he was also laughing at the incident. “Uh...I’m gonna let this one slide.” He said, answering my unspoken question that I had been wondering.

I hope those girls have learned their lesson, cuz if they ever hurt my sister again it’ll be Larry, Bobby, and Penelope the snakes next!


	14. Cat-astrophe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector has always wanted a pet, but wasn’t allowed to have any. When turning in stray kittens he had found, a mysterious man offers him a solution to his issue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun making this chapter! I think this is my favorite/best one so far. This chapter is a bit inspired by the movie Brave’s beginning plot, you’ll see why soon hahaha... anyways, shoutout to Animator for always brightening my mood with her lovely comments, I look forward to them every day. She gave the idea of Hector’s “puppy-dog eyes” look on Quirin not working, and him going behind his back anyways.
> 
> Edmund: 34  
> Ophelia: 33  
> Quirin: 16  
> Adira: 15  
> Laurie and Hailei: 14  
> Hector: 10

Hector’s POV: 

I love my big brother to the moon and back: he’s always there for me and takes the role of the parent I barley ever had. On the other hand, sometimes he just down right drives me crazy! He’s always in charge saying this and that all the time. Things like “No jumping on the bed!” or “Stop trying to light your homework on fire!” or even “Oh my lord put that knife down!” You know, harmless stuff like that.

But what really, _really_ gets under my skin is when he doesn’t let me have animals in our room. He always has _something_ about every animal in existence. Toads croaked too loudly at night, we didn’t have enough room for a dog, snakes were ‘out of the question,’ birds were too noisy both day _and_ night, opossums smelled too bad, rabbits chewed on everything, and blah blah blah I-hate-animals blah blah blah! 

He said I could get a pet fish, but I didn’t have anything big enough to put it in without it being all cramped up, and I just couldn’t do that to an animal.

Today, however, on my way home from school, I found stray kittens in a box outside of town. They looked awfully young, but not young enough to still need their momma’s milk. Maybe about 5 or six weeks? I bent down to look at the kitties, trying to comfort them since they looked pretty scared.  
“Hello! I’m Hector!” I introduce myself as I pet their backs gently.  
“It’s okay, I know it can feel real scary when your momma’s gone, but I’ll take care of y’all!” I say, standing up as I carefully pick up the box.

“C’mon, I gotta get you home before my brother and sister get out of practice!” I tell them as I scurry down the trails toward the castle’s back entryway.

______________________

I sit on my bed with the kittens still in the box, this time with a small blanket under them. I was showing them all of my toys, when the sound of an opening door interrupted me. 

Adira and Quirin entered the room, both putting their wooden swords up. “Hey little brother, how was your day at school?” Quirin asks, still unaware of the box on my bed. “It was okay. How was training?” I ask casually, trying to avoid drawing his attention to my new friends. “It went well, just a little sore from yesterday.” Quirin responded, and I watched Adira notice the box and give me an odd look. “Hey uh, whatcha got there?” She asks, and I hold up one of the toys a I was holding, “A toy boat.” “No you idiot, the box.” She laughs, and I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at her. “Nothin’.” I say, but suddenly Quirin’s attention was also drawn to the box. He sighs, holding the bridge of his nose. “Hector, whatever creature it is, I want it out.” He warned, and I automatically shot up from my bed. “Oh come on, Quirin! They’re stray kittens! You’ve never said anything bad about kittens!” I beg, making a puppy-dog face at him. He looked like he was about to give in, looking at both me and the small kittens in the box, but to my surprise, he sighed and shook his head. “No. I’m sorry Hector, but we cannot keep pets in here, especially four cats. You can keep pets outside of the room all you want, but in here we stay strictly pet-free.” My cheeks started to burn with anger, “But if they’re not in the room then they’re not a pet! And what about Princess Laurie, she has a pet fox and she has no issues!” I argue back. “Poppy is very domesticated, these cats are feral, it’s different. I really am sorry Hector, but no more arguing with me. Now go back down to the market area, I’m sure you can find someone who can take the cats there.” He ordered. “But-“ “No buts. Go now so you can get back before dinner time. If you want, Adira or I could come with you.” He offered, but I just angrily took the cats and swung the door open. “Nope, I’m going alone.” I grumbled. “Alright, be safe.” I hear as I slam the door.

__________________

I just don’t understand why Quirin has to be such a buzzkill sometimes! He never wants to do anything that even has a smidge of fun in it! I stomped all the way down to the market, too angry to even think about anything other than Quirin’s dumb rules and ‘fun-allergies.’ I didn’t even know who to go to for stray cats, if there were to even be a person of such job here. I put the box down at a curbside and kicked a nearby rock into the grass to let out my frustrations. I sat down, putting face in my hands as I give myself some time to cool down.

“I believe you dropped this.” I hear a mans voice say behind me. My head spins around toward the sound of the mysterious voice, and I see a tall man in an odd cloak holding out the rock I just kicked. “Sorry mister, that’s not mine. You can keep it if you’d like.” I say, trying to avoid conversation with him. “Hmm, thanks for the offer. What do you have in that box of yours?” He continued, but I couldn’t think of a way to get out of talking to him. “Uh, stray cats. My brother won’t let me keep them.” I shrug, and the man gives a deep chuckle. “Ah, I see. Brothers can be awfully infuriating sometimes, huh?” The man peered into the box, then gave me a friendly smile. I nervously look away, “Sorry mister, but I’m really not supposed to talk to strangers without my brother or sister around.” That had only made him laugh harder. “Oh dear child I’m not going to hurt you, I want to help you! How would you feel about being able to keep the cats after all?” He knelt down to me, and I look up at him with interest and curiosity. “Huh? What do you mean?” “What I mean is I have a special little potion that can maybe convince your brother to let you keep the cats.” He explained as he pulled out a small orange vial. “Put this into any food, and have him eat it. After he’s eaten it, I’m sure you’ll have no problem keeping the cats!” 

My face flushed at the thought. It sounded really intriguing, but it also felt a bit wrong. However, if Quirin thinks he wants to keep the cats after all, what harm could it _really_ do in the end anyways? I smiled back at the man and took the vial. “Thanks mister! But uh... where do I keep the cats in the meantime?” I ask, and the man grinned at my taking of the offer. “I’ll keep them for you in the mean time. I live in a little cottage in the forest across from the gondolas. You should find it fairly easily.” He said, gently grabbing the box.  
“Great! Thank you, mister!” I say as I excitedly run back home.

___________________________

Third Person POV:

The mysterious man watched the boy run off back to the castle, then looked down into the box with a mischievous smile. “Good news children, we might have a new addition to the litter soon...” he says, and the kittens quiver in fear.

___________________________

Quirin’s POV:

I felt bad for not letting Hector have a pet, but I needed to put down boundaries that really shouldn’t be crossed. I mean, I really did mean everything I said. The cats _would_ be too much to handle. The room was too small for kittens to be running around and scratching everything, we didn’t have room for a litter box, and we wouldn’t have enough food to feed all of them on a regular basis. It broke my heart to see him so upset, but I couldn’t say yes to something that couldn’t be done just for the sake of his happiness. Hopefully he will get over it soon, and maybe settle for something easier like oh, I don’t know, a pet rock or an ant farm or something.

I was getting worried that something had happened after he didn’t make it back until nearly twenty minutes before dinner, and almost went out to search for him with Adira before the door opened and he peered out. “Oh Hector I’m glad you’re okay, I was afraid something had happened.” I say with relief, and he just shrugged. “I’m fine, but I did trade the cats for this pie!” He said as he happily held out a small apple pie. Adira’s face lit up and she made her way over to him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can’t have any Adira!” He objected, and Adira looked greatly offended. “What? Why?” 

Hector hesitated for a moment, obviously thinking. “Cause uh, I thought I’d give it to Quirin! Since uh, you really look out for us and put a lot of work into keeping us safe and happy.” He says, and I froze at the odd change in behavior. Adira on the other hand was not so pleased. “What!? I do that too! Just one slice!?” She begs, trying to steal the dessert from her brother’s hands. He dodges her attempts at snatching the pie, still refusing to give her some.

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Hector. We can bring it down to the dining room and share it there.” I insist, and he smiled and nodded his head, but still looked puzzled over something. “Sure. We’ll do that.” He says, then gets ready to head down and eat.

______________________

When we finished our food, we had moved on to the pie for dessert. Hector said he was too full to have any, so I just split the pie with Adira instead. 

“This is really good! Who’d you buy this from? It has like this... tang to it. I like it.” Adira said with her mouth halfway full. “Uh, he’s new in town. He’s working with Chef Andersen.” He said after I gave Adira ‘the look’ for talking with food in her mouth. 

It _was_ pretty good, I’ll have to admit. Still though, it was odd for Hector to do such a thing, especially after I upset him earlier. 

“So... Quirin... I know you said I can’t have any cats, but... have you maybe changed your mind at all?” He asks with an innocent face.

Ah yes, there it is.

“Oh I see what’s going on. You got this pie to try and bribe me into letting you keep the cats.” I said with an upset expression. Just when I had thought he was just doing something from the kindness of his heart... that boy is something else. He looked confused, then sad. “No! That’s not what I was trying to do!” He insisted, but I just couldn’t find a part of myself that believes him. Still though, I take it easy on the boy. I was honestly feeling awfully tired, and didn’t have the energy to argue with him. “Okay Hector, whatever you say; But I meant what I said earlier, so the answer is still no. I don’t want to argue anymore about this, I’d like to head back now.” I say with a disappointed tone, and Hector just avoids eye contact and says nothing as we get up and get ready to go. Adira yawns, “Yeah I’m super tired, I think I might go straight to bed.” I also nod and yawn. “I second that. C’mon Hector, let’s go.” 

__________________________

Adira and I pass out on the beds as soon as we get dressed in our sleepwear. I don’t know what had made me so tired since training was more on the easier side today. Nonetheless, we went straight to bed. Hector seemed disappointed and upset the whole night, but I left him alone to try and give him his space to cool down. I thought that maybe in the morning I could talk to him one-on-one in a much more calm and understanding manner; but until then I just wanted to sleep.

____________________________

Hector’s POV:

I can’t believe the potion didn’t work! I even had to find a pie to steal in the kitchen and everything! I don’t know why the man would lie to me... but I guess it doesn’t matter since I can’t even keep the cats anyways. They both got really tired super fast, so at least I had an hour or two to myself so I could calm down before bed. 

When I did wake up, I felt an odd weight on my chest that surely wasn’t Apollo or Benny. I open my eyes to see a brown cat (maybe in it’s teenage years?) sitting on my chest with panic in its eyes. 

“AH!” I say, startled at the surprise. The cat quickly jumps off of me and stands at the end of my bed, tail fluffed out. I look around the room to see if Quirin or Adira had let a cat in as a surprise, but alas they were no where to be found. I scratched my head in confusion, it was a Saturday so there was no school, and it was too early for breakfast so they couldn’t have gone down without me. Where were they?

A white cat also jumped up on my bed, vigorously meowing at me and pawing at my arm. “Hey how’d you two get in here? Did my siblings let you in?” I ask, getting up from my bed. The two cats started meowing excessively, making me freeze in place. I took time to look into both of their eyes, and recognized them almost immediately.

Oh _no._

“Brother!? Sister!?”

______________________

Quirin’s POV:

When I signed up for getting a little brother, I expected that I’d have to do a few things. I expected to help him with his homework, play ball with him, teach him how to ride a bike, patch up his scrapes from playing outside, teach him right from wrong, and sometimes clean up his messes from time to time... you know, normal stuff.

BUT BEING TURNED INTO A CAT WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE EXPECTED THINGS.

I pace across the room as I complain to my sister, who has been swatting at Hector for the past ten minutes. “I don’t know what to do! It wasn’t my fault! I didn’t know the potion would turn you guys into cats! I promise!” He cries out, trying to think of a solution. “How could you be so reckless and stupid!? What if this never wears off!? I CANNOT believe you right now!” I yelled. “Quirin, for the last time, he can’t hear you!” Adira snapped at me, and I gave up my pacing to just lay down in despair.

“He said he lived in the forest across from the gondolas, we could maybe at least try and look for him and see if he has a cure!” Hector offers, and I perk up and walk towards him to show him that I approve of the idea. “Hey Quirin, guess what?” Adira says, and I turn to glare at her before I see a flash of white as she pounces on me. “Adira! Quit it! This is a serious matter!” I yell as she wrestled around with me on the floor. She laughs and continued to bite and scratch. “Oh c’mon brother! Haven’t you ever wanted to wrestle as a cat? Once in a lifetime experience!” She said happily, but was interrupted by Hector grabbing her and putting her in his basket. “Hey!” She hollered, but he just sighed as he ignored her angry meowing. Before he could pick me up, I jumped on the bed and got into the basket myself.

“Let’s head out I guess...” he said with a weary voice.

______________________

Hector’s POV:

After talking to the man who runs the gondola, he said he couldn’t let me through without some kind of royal permission since I was still a child. Thankfully though, I knew just the person who would sign such papers without getting us in trouble.

I loudly knock on my brother’s girlfriend’s door, yelling “Laurie! Laurie! I need your help!” Quirin kept meowing something at me, but because of the language barrier I had just ignored him. 

The door flew open, showing Laurie wearing a silk robe along with a green face mask and hair curlers. “WHAT!? WHAT HAPPENED!? DID THE WEASELS GET OUT AGAIN!?” She asked with a panic, and I gave her a strange look. “What? No. I just accidentally turned my brother and sister into cats. I need a permission slip for the gondola so I can talk to a possible witch-man.” I say, and she sighs with relief. “Oh thank god... wait a minute, what!? Quirin is that you!?!? Awww!!! You’re so cute as a cat!” She cooed, grabbing him out from the basket and into her arms. Quirin seemed stiff and embarrassed, but still had allowed her to pet him. “I can get you a paper signed. I have one on my desk actually. Come on in!” She says, and I make my way into her room and sit on her bed. “I’d try and make you a potion myself since I’ve been getting into a bit of alchemy lately, but I’m still not very good at it. I tried to make a flying potion a few days ago but I couldn’t get down from the ceiling for like five hours.” She rambled on as I looked around her giant bedroom. Her room was very light in comparison to the rest of the castle. There was a lot of white and baby blue everywhere, along with many of her paintings. She had a few paintings of her and her family, Quirin, or Hailei; but I also noticed a painting that had three children playing together in the snow. They were too small to notice since it seemed to be a window-perspective, but something told me that it was my siblings and I. Art always interested me... maybe I could convince her to teach me how to paint sometime. As I looked around a bit more, she appeared to be really well rounded, with multiple instruments -including a giant piano- scattered around her room, and hundreds of books about nearly every subject you could think of. She was quite the interesting girl for sure.

“Alright! Here you are! Bye cutie~” she said as she handed me the paper and gave Quirin another pat on the head as she placed him back in the basket. He meowed something back, and carefully laid back down in the basket next to Adira.

“Thank you, Princess. See ya later!” I say as I head back to the gondolas.

_______________________

The man approved my paper and let us pass through, and said I had until six to get back. I hastily got off the gondola once we got to the other side and followed the path that led to the forest.

“Okay, he said he lives in a cottage so... look! There’s smoke! That could be from his house!” I say out loud despite knowing they couldn’t say anything back. They both peer out of the basket to look at the chimney smoke, giving assuring meows in return.

I follow the smoke in the distance, walking through the mazes of trees. I hear one of them meow to grab my attention, and I look to see Adira pointing her nose at a cottage a bit to the East. “There it is! Thanks Adi!” I say, running to the cottage while keeping the basket steady.

I walked up to the eerie looking cottage door, knocking on it three times. A few seconds of silence went by, then the door creaked open. “Ah, hello again young boy. Come on in! I see the potion worked well!” The man said with an evil grin. “It did not! You turned my brother and sister into cats! That’s _not_ what you said would happen!” I yell, but he just shrugged. “Perhaps I just wasn’t clear enough.” I squeezed past him through the door to look around for a cure of some sort. “Where is a cure? I want them turned back _now!_ ” I order, only to hear the sound of a door locking. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” He says, and I start backing up as he made his way toward me. “Why not!?” I say, voice shaking. I looked around to find an escape route, and noticed just how many cats were in the cottage, looking just as miserable and scared. The man chuckled and shook his head, “I believe you have something of mine. But not to fear sweet, foolish child... you can join them too if you’d like.” I gulped, watching him turn around to grab a vile and wave it in the air at me. I anxiously shake my head, backing up against the wall. I drop the basket, making Adira and Quirin jump out. The man walked toward me, opening the vile while holding what seemed to be a dagger in the other hand. “Open wiiiide...” he said with a smile as I tried to keep my mouth shut as hard as I could. He got inches away from me, grabbing my chin and holding it steady. While I tried to fight back as he attempted to pry my mouth open, loud hisses came from behind him, followed by Adira and Quirin pouncing on the man. He started screaming as they scratched the smithereens out of his face while also biting wherever they could. I quickly ducked away from the man, searching around the room for a cure. An older grey cat pawed at my leg, and motioned toward a glass cabinet. I saw what looked to be blue vials, with a faint “reversal potion” labeled on the vial holder. “Thank you!” I tell the cat, and he bows his head in response. I rush over to the cabinet and hastily grab all the vials. “Quirin! Adira! Get over here, quick!” I yell over the man’s screams. They both hop off of the man, running over to me to quickly lick up the potion that I poured for them in a nearby dish. After a few seconds, they transformed back into their human selves. “You’re back!!” I yelp, going in for a quick group hug. “Good to be back... but I’m gonna kill you when we get out of this mess.” Quirin said, flicking me in the head. “Hurry, we gotta get out of here while he’s still recovering!” Adira interrupted, gesturing to the man who was on the floor with cuts all over him. “She’s right. Let’s go.” Quirin said, both of them heading out the door. “Wait! What about the others? I think they’re people under a spell too!” I say, looking back at all the other cats. “We’ll come back later to save them with some knights to arrest this guy. Take both types of potions so he doesn’t hide them or use them!” Quirin ordered, and I hesitated before taking all the vials and heading out the door. Before I left however, I gave an assuring look to all the cats, and said a small “I promise we’ll come back and save you.” To them. 

________________________

“Professor Einar Pedersen, you are under arrest for the kidnappings of thirteen people and usage of illegal dark magic.” One of the knights said as he handcuffed the man. “You clods! Those children attacked me and stole from my home! Arrest them instead!” He objected, but was silenced as he was put into the prisoner wagon. King Edmund walked up to us with a proud look on his face. “I can’t believe it! Some of these people have been gone for decades! I never knew Professor Pedersen was the culprit all along!” He said, glancing at all the people, both young and old. One old man walked up to me as well, giving me a gentle smile. “Thank you for saving us dear children, without you, I probably would have never seen the light of day as a human ever again. Professor Pedersen was actually my brother and assistant, who had abused some of the elixirs I had made. I’m glad he is now behind bars... these young children and fine men and women can now get to go back to their families.” He said as he smiled at the other twelve people. 

I felt Quirin put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s true little brother, even though what you did was reckless and stupid, you _did_ end up saving a lot of people... so I’m glad.” He said, and I smiled back at him. “So does that mean I can get a cat still?” I bat my eyes at him. “No. I don’t want to see another cat for a whole year after all this.” He frowned, but then we just laughed together.

“We _do_ happen to have one hundred and fifty-three weasels stashed away near the stables. They make great pets! Very easy to tame!” King Edmund pitched in, and Quirin raised an eyebrow. “Why so many?” He asked, and King Edmund just looked around suspiciously. “Uh... it’s a long story.” He said, and my siblings and I just looked at each other with odd expressions. Quirin then sighs and smiles. “You know what? I’m sure a weasel would be just fine... but if it starts chewing things up I’m making you put it back.” He said, and my face lights up.

_____________________

“And this is the dresser, and this is my bed, and this is the other dresser, and this is Quirin’s bed, and this is your cage, and these are my toys, and this is Adira’s knife collection...” I say as I give Archie a tour of the room. Quirin finished the last of the few screws on his cage, and put the tools down. “Alright Hector, once Adira gets back from her date with Hailei, we’re going to go find Archie some toys to play with at the market, so go get dressed.” He said, and I happily complied.

As I carefully place Archie in his new cage I smile at Quirin, and surprise him with a hug.

“Thank you brother, I’m glad you’re safe again.” I say, and after giving a surprised look, he smiled and hugged me back.

“Of course brother. I’m glad you’re safe too.”


	15. Quirin Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector and Adira plan a special day to celebrate their big brother in honor of all his hard work he puts into caring for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty short, sweet, and cheesy, but I wanted to give a little something before I get more time for longer chapters. I should post again Sunday night around 11:00pm (technically today but it’s 1am so I’m pretending it’s Saturday still) and it’ll hopefully be a little better quality than this short chapter.
> 
> Edmund: 28  
> Ophelia: 27  
> Quirin: 10  
> Adira: 9  
> Laurie and Hailei: 8  
> Hector: 4

Third person POV:

It was widely known that Quirin, the eldest of the three adopted siblings living within the Dark Kingdom’s castle, was one of the best big brothers in the whole world. 

Quirin bandages up their cuts and scrapes after a hard day of play, cleans up their messes that they forget, brings extra snacks on every outing incase they get hungry, takes down their clothes to the maids to be cleaned every three days, motivates them when they’re feeling down, helps them improve in school, lets them snuggle up under the covers with him after a nightmare or bad day, helps brush Hector’s hair (because that’s a teamwork kind of thing), sew’s up any tears or holes in clothes, packs them their lunches for school, and many more daily actions that he does purely because it makes him happy.

That’s the best part: The fact that Quirin doesn’t _have_ to do any of those things, but he does anyway because it brings him joy to see them successful, happy, and safe. He also wanted to give them the life that his younger self would have wanted from his own father, so he put extra work and care into his job when it came to showing them love, affection, and support.

Hector and Adira really appreciated all of Quirin’s favors, help, and care; but constantly forgot to show him how much he really means to them. Although they knew Quirin loves what he does and didn’t mind not getting anything much else in return, the younger siblings still couldn’t sit right on the fact that he does so much for them and they barely do anything for him back.

The two siblings had played pretend with their toys all afternoon, eventually crashing out on Hector’s bed together without picking up their huge mess left behind. Quirin had gotten back from his third day of training, only to find the room destroyed with the two culprits laying in each other’s arms completely passed out. Instead of getting upset, he had just smiled at the sight of the two before gently placing a blanket over them. After he had tucked them in, he cleaned the entire room as quietly as possible to prevent waking them up. Once the room was spotless, he left for the market to buy a few things.

Eventually, Adira and Hector slowly started to wake up after their long nap, stretching and rubbing their eyes. 

“Where’s brother? He shoulda been back by now.” The four-year-old wondered, hopping off the bed. “Look! He lefta note!” He showed to his sister after finding it on their bedside table. He handed it to his sister since he didn’t know how to read yet. Adira read aloud:  
_Off to the market, I’ll be back before dinner. I’ll bring back some sweets for the two of you, so try not to snack too much before I get back! :)  
\- Quirin_

Hector cheered over getting to have candy, and so did Adira as well, but eventually she stopped and looked around at the room as she noticed the change in its state of cleanliness. “Whoa, did he clean the room up all by himself while we were asleep?” She asked allowed, and Hector shrugged. “I dunno. I guess so.” 

Adira sighed and thought for a moment. “You know little brother, we really need to do something for Quirin every once and awhile since he does so much for us.” She stated, pondering over ideas that could show their appreciation of him. “Like whada you mean?” Hector said as he watched his sister think, a bit lost on what she was talking about.

“I mean he does a lot of things for us that he doesn’t have to. He didn’t _have_ to clean our mess for us, he didn’t _have_ to give you a piggy back ride across the entire castle yesterday, and he didn’t _have_ to fix my broken necklace this morning either. Even when we say thank you, I still feel like it’s not enough... we should have a day to celebrate him!” Adira said, trying to explain the thought to the young boy in the easiest way possible. 

“But like... how we gonna do that?” He asked with a confused face. “Think of it like a second birthday, but bigger. We’ll make him breakfast in bed before he wakes up, then we’ll give him cards and presents and stuff, and we can even make a big dinner for him too!! With a big cake!!!” Adira proposes, and Hector’s face lights up at the word ‘cake.’

“Yeah! It’s do it!” He cheers in agreement. “Great! But it’s super important that he doesn’t know about ANY of this until the day of. We should have it Saturday, which means Friday night we’ll have to wake up after he falls asleep so we can get everything ready.” Adira adds, then gets a paper and feather pen to write out their ideas.

______________________

Quirin’s POV:

My brother and sister are on to something, but I’m just not sure what. Hector keeps hiding the papers he colors on while I pass by, and Adira has been acting even stranger than usual. I’m not sure what they are quite up to, but whatever it is I sure hope the mess doesn’t end up too big. 

This morning was the first Saturday since I’ve started training, making it a free day. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I was determined to make the most of it as I planned on finally relaxing my muscles and mind.

When I woke up, however, I was greeted with many, many good smells. Things like bacon and fruit and waffles... I open my eyes, and see none other than my two siblings standing at the end of my bed, with food on food trays in their hands.

“Surprise!” They both yell, handing me the trays of food as I sit up in my bed. 

“Aw, you guys!! What’s all this for!?” I ask, blushing at the sweet gesture. 

“Adira s-said you do a lot for us and we should do something for you. Happy Quirin Day!” Hector said with his little hands up in the air. I gushed at both the kind gesture and his childish expressions, starting to dig in to my food.

“You two are the sweetest little siblings ever.” I say, humming at the excellent taste of food after taking my first bite. 

“Anything for you! We don’t show enough thanks to everything you do for us. Without you, we’d be so lost... and probably swimming in trash.” Adira responded, and Hector widened his eyes and nodded. “Oh yes, thas not as fun as it sounds.” He says, making both Adira and I chuckle. 

“We give him the presents now?” Hector added while looking up at Adira, and I cock an eyebrow. “Oh you two didn’t have to make me anything...” I started, but was quickly interrupted by Adira. “We insist. Hector, honey, go bring your stuff to Quirin.” She motioned to our little brother, and he skipped over to his drawer to pull a few things out. 

He went over to the side of my bed and started giving me things one-by-one. “Here’s a clay pot I made to put your plants in since you like to garden, here’s a book I made all by myself, here’s a picture of a frog I drew, here’s a cool rock I found outside, and here’s a card that I made that Adira helped write for me.” Although the craftsmanship was a little off, Hector was quite the little artist for his age. I smiled wide at the boy and his gifts, as I knew he spent a lot of time, love, and thought into every one of them. 

“Thank you so much Hector, these are all very lovely. I’m very impressed at your drawing too, you’re improving more and more every day!” I say as I pat his shoulder and accept his little hug he gave me over the bedside. Adira came over with things from her drawer as well, and set everything down to hand them to me.  
“I got you a new book, some amber crystals which project strength and courage, a card I made myself, a wooden bear I carved since that’s your favorite animal, and a new dagger that I had the princess sign her name on since you like her so much.” I blush at the end of her presentation. “You did what now? Oh god what did you tell her!?” I say, then decide to push back any yelling or lecturing until tomorrow. “...Thank you, Adira. These are all very thoughtful. Even the dagger.” I sigh, and she laughs at my flustered reaction from earlier. “Sure thing, brother.” She nodded, and noticed I had finished the breakfast they had made for me. “I’ll clean this up then we can go find something to do together.” I say, starting to stack the plates. 

“Oh no you don’t, hold it right there. _We’ll_ take care of everything today. You just sit back and relax.” Adira interrupted and grabbed the tray before I could finish cleaning it up. I hesitate, but then just smile and give in. “Well... if you insist.” I say, watching my two siblings fight over who gets to clean what. 

I really do have the best little siblings in the world.


	16. Fit For a Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira and Quirin are invited to the royal ball as their girlfriend’s guests. As lovely as the night may seem, Quirin runs into a prince who has a thing or two to say to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any typos, I’ll fix them if I spot any more! Also, I was super tired while writing this so the plot might seem a bit off or wonky.😬✌🏻
> 
> Edmund: 34  
> Ophelia: 33  
> Quirin: 16  
> Adira: 15  
> Laurie and Hailei: 14  
> Hector: 10

Quirin’s POV: 

I’ve been to festivals before, and I’ve attended many dinner’s with my the royal family as Laurie’s guest; but I have never been to anything close to a ball before.

My girlfriend-of-one-year, Lauralie Fitzherbert, invited me to be her guest at the royal ball which was being hosted by our kingdom this year. Of course I said yes, though I couldn’t help but feel nervous every time I thought about it. I mean, my ballroom dancing wasn’t perfected yet and I don’t know the first thing about talking _royal_ mannerisms... there was too much to learn in such a short time!

Luckily for me, Adira was also invited as Hailei’s guest, and would be in need of mannerisms and dancing lessons as well. Because of this, that meant we’d get combat training replaced with ballroom training for a whole week until the ball took place. As for Hector, he got practices off until then.

Since Adira and I would _both_ be leading the dances, the princesses were invited down to the ballroom to join us for our training. To my surprise, Adira was an incredible dancer; I blame her excellent balance and yoga skills. I did fine with the exception of a few missteps here and there, but as the days went by I started feeling more and more comfortable and confident. On Friday, the day before the ball, we were fitted and dressed in new clothing. 

I wore a navy long-sleeve tunic with gold embellishments and buttons, fancy black trousers, black shoes, and a golden mask since the ball was masquerade themed in order to keep Hailei’s identity hidden. Laurie had a shimmery teal ballgown with navy embellishments that matched my tunic, and also a black mask with small teal rhinestones accented on the sides. Adira wore a black hanfu dress with silver and gold accents and a black mask, while Hailei wore a fuchsia gown with purple and silver accents with a white mask, avoiding the traditional Chinese wear to avoid any suspicion. All the colors clashed really well together, showing exactly who our dates were by the similar designs and colors.

We had another run through of the event as practice, then were released back to our rooms. I finally believed I could get a good nights rest now that I had better confidence with everything, and was fully prepared for whatever tomorrow would bring.

_____________________

The day had finally come, so Adira and I began getting dressed after lunch. We were to pick the girls up at four, which meant we had to hurry since the clothes, hair, and makeup took such a long time to do. 

“Why don’t I get to go!?” Hector complained as he tried teaching Archie hoop tricks on the floor.

“Once you find a date who’s a part of a royal family, then you can go.” I tell Hector, but he just shakes his head and sticks his tongue out in disgust. “No way! All that dating and romance junk is super gross. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want the food from there though! No fair!” He said, feeding Archie another treat after he successfully jumped a hoop. I chuckled and shook my head at the boy. “I’ll see if I can bring anything back for you.” 

I helped Adira with her hair and two maids had come up to do her makeup. Once we were both finished and fully dressed, we started out the door. “Bye Hector, bed time at 9:30, got it? Dinner is on the dresser.” I say as I hold the door open for Adira. “Fine, bring back food if you can!” He says without looking up from coloring his picture of Archie as he laid on the floor. “I’ll try.” I say, then shut the door behind me.

Adira and I split as we went to the princesses rooms, and planned on meeting back with one another in the main hall. I walk up to my girlfriend’s door, and knock three times. After a few seconds, the door opened and Laurie peered out with a big smile on her face. “Oh Quirin, I’m so excited to finally get to attend a ball with you! This is going to be so fun!” She says, taking my arm as we start heading down. “I’m glad to get to go, thanks for inviting me, love.” I say, giving her a smile back.

We meet up with my sister and Princess Hailei, who made it to the main hall before us. “You two look very beautiful together. Are you sure you’re going to be okay out in public, even with the masks?” I ask, and the tiny princess nods and bows to me. “Thank you, Quirin. Yes, I believe I will be fine. I hope to see my parents here, actually, but I’m not sure of their status right now involving the Qiandga Warriors. As long as I keep to myself as much as possible, I should be fine. I also have a cover name to be extra careful, ‘Princess Elizabeth of the Eastern Isles.’” She said, giggling at her new title. I nod, and smile at her. “I hope you see your parents as well. Come find one of us if you feel as if you need to hide a bit more or get away from the scene for awhile.” I say to my possible future little sister in-law, and she smiles back at me in return. “Yes, thank you.”

__________________________

“Princess Lauralie Fitzherbert of the Dark Kingdom, who is accompanied by Quirin Laurent.” The announcer calls as we enter the room side-by-side, bowing at the top of the stairs before standing in the ballroom with all the other guests who have already been announced.

“Princess Elizabeth of the Eastern Isles, who is accompanied by Adira Gao.”

Adira and Hailei had done the same as Laurie and I, bowing at the top of the stairs and standing beside us among the crowd.

“Prince Fredrick of Corona, who is accompanied by Princess Arianna of Roubourg.” Two teens about our age bowed and found their way beside my sister.

“Prince Nicholas of Xoria, who is accompanied by Princess Lillian of Xoria.” Another pair of teens had come down, but what I had noticed about these two were that they were scowling at somebody as they walked by. I looked behind me to see whom they might have been scowled at, but soon realized that it had been none other than me.

My face flushed as I wondered what I might have done to this complete stranger to make him look at me in such a way. I look over at Adira and she looks back it me with the same curious expression. She eyes him, then looks back at me, cocking an eyebrow. I give her the ‘I have no idea’ look, and she just shrugs and implies that I let it go and ignore whatever it was all about. I sigh, and look over to Laurie as I feel her give my arm a squeeze. She gives me a concerned and curious look, but I just smile and mouth “It’s nothing.” To her. She hesitates, but then just nods and goes back to watching the people get announced.

Once everyone was announced, we began with a short speech from King Edmund, then started to casually dance throughout the ballroom. I’ll be honest, it was quite fun! It felt like we were flying as we gracefully moved across the floor. Laurie gazed into my eyes the whole time, making it feel as if we were the only ones in the room. I cannot describe how lucky I feel every time I see her and am reminded of how she is mine and I am hers. I know I don’t deserve her in the slightest, but I do hope to be able to gaze into her eyes every day for the rest of my life. Those pale blue eyes just make me feel at home, as if there’s no other place or feeling that could make me feel as loved or at peace.

Edmund eventually wanted a turn with his daughter, so I politely gave him her hand and made my way over to the food and drinks to get Laurie some sparkling cider. While I was pouring a drink however, I hear a voice coming from behind me.

“So you’re the peasant who’s dating why future wife.” He said, and I look back with pure confusion. 

It was the Prince from earlier.

“I’m sorry?” I say, unsure of what he was talking about.

“Yes, you should be. I don’t know why you’re wasting time dating her when she’s just going to marry me. We have an alliance with the Dark Kingdom and the second born gets to marry the Dark Kingdom’s King’s daughter. It’s a royalty thing, you wouldn’t get it.” He scoffed, took the drink I was holding, and drank it while he walked away.

Was he serious? Was Laurie going to marry someone else? There’s no way... that can’t be true! 

I start to get woozy before Adira shows up next to me and stops me from tumbling over. “Hey big brother, come on. Let’s go somewhere private where you can sit down.” She said as she swooped me out of the room and into the small garden area right outside the ballroom. We both sat on a bench, and I put my head in my hands.

“Why wouldn’t she tell me?” I ask, and Adira puts a hand on my back. “Because it’s not true. King Edmund wouldn’t let you date Laurie if he knew you couldn’t marry her. That dude just has problems.” I look over to her, giving her an unsure expression. 

“Look, if you’re unsure about it, why don’t you talk to her? I mean, communication is a big part of a healthy relationship.” She offers, and I nod in agreement.

“You’re right sister. He’s probably just lying. I need to get back to her... hey, where’s Hailei by the way?” I ask, noticing her date isn’t with her. She sighed and looked away. “Her parents aren’t here, which could imply they’re being held captive right now... or worse. She wanted to be alone for a few minutes so she’s hiding in the right wing garden.” I frown at the news and look back at the door to the ballroom. “Well... I hope they’re going to be okay. Poor girl... she’s gone through too much. I’m glad she has you to keep her happy, though.” I say, and she gives me a soft smile. “Are you coming back in?” I add, about to head inside. She shakes her head, “Not yet. I actually have some business to attend to.” She says, and I groan. “Adira, whatever you’re doing, don’t be stupid.” I say, and leave it at that as she just rolls her eyes and says “I’ll be fine.” 

I went back inside, and searched for Laurie. I saw her talking to another princess with brown hair and green eyes, laughing about something near the champaign table. I walk toward her, and her face lights up when her eyes spot me. “Quirin! You’re back! This is Princess Arianna. Arianna, this is my boyfriend, Quirin.” She says, and the girl gives a small curtsy. “Pleasure to meet you, Princess.” I bow, and she nods. “Pleasure to meet you too, Quirin. Princess Lauralie has been telling me that you’re a knight-in-training, I’m sure you will be an excellent king for the dark kingdom one day with that battle experience.” She says, and I blush. “Oh uh, I-“ I started to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Laurie. “I know right!? That’s what I’ve been saying! My dad can’t get enough of him, I swear he goes on and on about his excellence in training every day at the dinner table.” I blink in shock, but give a friendly chuckle when they look my way to hide my surprised expression.

Does he really think that? I can’t believe it! So why was that prince going on about the whole marriage thing?

“Ah yes, my father is the same about Prince Fredrick. Although this one pest-of-a-prince keeps walking around taunting him about how he’s supposed to marry me instead. I believe his name is Prince Trevor... what a creep.” Princess Arianna says, rolling her eyes. Laurie’s eyes go wide as well. “No kidding! Prince Nathan has been trying to dance with me multiple times tonight ever since my dad danced with me. He hasn’t been bothering you or anything, right love?” She turns to me with a weary face. I rub the back of my neck. “Uh, I mean it was a rather short conversation...” I laugh, and Laurie’s eyes go wide. “What!? Oh Quirin please tell me he wasn’t being mean to you or anything...” she said, and I just smiled and waved my hand in the air. “Let’s not worry about that, he’ll be gone after tonight anyways.” I say, and Laurie just sighs while looking hesitant. “Well... if he says anything else please tell me. I don’t want anyone talking to my boyfriend with an ill tongue.” She said, and I gave her an assuring smile. “Sure thing, love.” 

_________________________

When dinner had started, I noticed a few things after I sat down with Laurie. Firstly, I noticed my sister’s hair was different as well as the way her dress was tied. I gave her an odd look, but she just smiled back evilly so that’s when I knew to just leave it for tomorrow’s problem, whatever crazy thing she had just done. Secondly, I noticed two chairs were empty. We waited only five minutes more for whoever was missing, but then just started eating without them. However, it wasn’t long after we had finished our starter entrees when a teen -wearing what looked like clothes for underneath the main attire- burst in the room, obviously worn out and jostled with. “I’ve been attacked!” He yells, and everyone’s attention was drawn to him. “Excuse me, son?” Edmund asks with a confused look. “I’ve- I’ve been attacked by some random girl! She was like a ninja or something! She took my clothes and ran!” He said, and after a few seconds of silence, a few people started to laugh. “A ninja? Son we don’t have ninjas here, are you feeling alright?” King Edmund continued, while Queen Ophelia just continued to laugh without holding back. “It’s true! It’s all true! I think it was someone here!” He said, and Edmund sighed. “Alright then, point to whoever did it.” He said, and the boy looked around with a smirk, ready to point out the culprit. After a few seconds of searching, however, he soon realized no one was identifiable with their masks on. “I... I don’t know.” He said, and Ophelia stepped in after wiping her eyes from laughing too hard. “Prince Trevor, you are not decent right now and need to exit the ballroom. You may follow the guards to find your way somewhere else to hopefully... find some new clothes.” 

Oh, so _that’s_ Prince Trevor. I guess that was one of the missing seats; but who was the other one? 

I looked around, and noticed another boy was missing: Prince Nicholas. I slowly turned my head to Adira, and she gave me a cheesy smile and fluttered her fingers at me playfully. “What on earth did you _do?_ ” I asked with worry in my voice, and she just grinned and asked “Do what?”  
I continued to stare at her, but she had eventually just shrugged and looked over to Hailei to grab her hand and and smile at her, starting up a conversation.

I sighed and turned to Laurie, who was digging in to her soup. “I wonder what happened to him.” I say, and she chuckles after gently wiping her mouth with her cloth napkin. “Oh I’m sure we both know exactly what happened, Quirin.” She smiled and winked at me. I look at her dumb-founded, and she laughed. “Quirin, I’ve been watching you and your siblings for years. I know what goes down by now.” She explained, and I nervously laughed back. “Well uh... I hope Prince Nicholas is okay... or at least won’t be able to recognize whoever did whatever they did...” I say, watching Laurie sip from her glass. She but the glass down and nodded, “Yeah, I’m sure everything will be fine.” 

_______________________

Adira’s POV:

It was an odd experience getting to be with Hailei in public, even if she looked totally different than her usual self. They made sure to make her look as European as possible to suggest that she was from a country like Albania or Macedonia. She also wore special gloves and shoes to prevent any fire mishaps. It was a really great night for her, as she was able to feel free and normal for once. Sadly, that happiness died down when she found out her parents weren’t here. I took her to the right wing gardens and held her as she wept, but eventually she said she just wanted to be alone to fully cool off.

As I went back inside to snatch some of the scones, I noticed a kid following around a princess who wasn’t very interested. I was about to ask if she was alright or needed my help, but another boy had already come up to her to escort her away from him. I was just about to walk up to Quirin to see how everything was going for him, when that weird Nicholas-kid started talking down to him near the drinks table.

“So you’re the peasant who’s dating why future wife.” He said, and I almost thought it was some kind of poorly made joke. 

But alas, it was not.

When the kid took his drink and left after crushing Quirin’s heart, my blood started to boil. I helped guide him out to the left-wing garden to get away from everyone and comfort him. Once he made his way back inside after awhile, then I got to work.

I removed the outer layers of my outfit and undid my hair to hide my identity from my original look, then I convinced Hailei to help out a bit, as she tapped the first kid’s shoulder and told him that Princess Arianna was waiting for him in the garden. He quickly made his way toward that direction, and once he made his was out I had attacked him, temporarily paralyzing the kid with my special moves I learned a few practices ago. I knew it was a little extreme, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do when it comes to getting revenge on the kid who hurt her brother.

I took off his outer clothes as well, disguising myself in his own uniform and mask. I had Hailei pull the same trick on Prince Nicholas soon after.

I waited in the bushes, then when he went out into the garden and the timing was right, I jumped the kid and dragged him over to the gardens little koi pond. “I hope you know how to swim, silver-spoon.” I say, knowing that in reality the pond wasn’t deep enough to drown in unless you really tried. It was fun watching the kid panic though, as he did not, in fact, know how to swim.

I watched the kid splash around for a minute or two before he finally realized he could touch the floor. After I had a good laugh to myself, I snuck back inside to change again. I decided not to give the other kid his clothes back either, because he needed to learn his lesson on leaving people alone when they’re not interested.

I couldn’t tie my dress back on just right, and I had to put my hair up in a less complicated way that I could do myself, but other than that I looked completely unrecognizable from my previously disguised self. I skipped my way back inside to dance with Hailei some more, cheering her up with the story of what just happened.

We had dinner and laughed at one of the two kids, Prince Trevor, but only later found Prince Nicholas angrily walking out of the castle toward the gondolas with everyone else, completely soaking wet. He had spared telling anybody the truth of what happened, but rather told others he voluntarily went for a late night swim. Quirin looked satisfied as he watched him stomp away, then elbowed my arm. “Thanks sis, but don’t try a stunt like that again. You could get in serious trouble and there’s no easy punishment for messing with royalty.” He said. I spit out a laugh, “I know, I know... but I’m pretty sure Queen Ophelia wouldn’t let such a thing happen. Did you hear her? I’m pretty sure she stopped breathing for a few minutes.” He laughed with me, and shook his head. “Oh what am I going to do with you...” 

“Oh shoot! We never got anything for Hector to eat!” He added, and I pulled back a part of my skirt to reveal multiple secrets pockets, stashed with food.

“I’m not gonna question how you managed to convince the seamstress to do that for you.” He sighed while shaking his head.


	17. The Dragon (The Map)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira, Quirin, Hector, and Princess Lauralie join Hailei on her mission to defeat the Qiandga Warriors, pursuing her destiny as The Dragon. To gain all the powers needed to defeat them, however, she will need to collect all the chakra stones that are scattered all around the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘The Dragon’ is going to be an extended adventure with a bit more serious writing, but I will go back to prompts like my previous ones afterward! So if you’re one of those people who aren’t a fan of OC’s taking up a lot of writing (like me sometimes), stay tuned! There will be chapters just about the three siblings again after ‘The Dragon’ chapters! If you’re more of a traveling/big mission prompt fan over the day-in-the-life prompts, you’ll probably like these upcoming chapters too!
> 
> Edmund: 35  
> Ophelia: 34  
> Quirin: 17  
> Adira: 16  
> Laurie and Hailei: 15  
> Hector: 11
> 
> Warning: mild language

Adira’s POV:

_“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” - Alan Watts_

We’ve found good disguises for Hailei to use when we go out in public on the rare occasion. Usually we play it safe and just hang out in the garden or in her room, but every few months we’ll dress her in a commoner dress and blonde wig with bangs that cover her eyes well enough, along with a lace fan that she can use to hide her face when needed. We’ve strolled through forests together, swam in lakes a few miles away from the kingdom, and have danced in the town square together, but other than that we haven’t done much traveling beyond our home.

This time I wanted to take her somewhere new, to give her the feeling of a bigger world outside of her bedroom. When I was traveling toward the green star nine years ago to follow my destiny, I ran into a wonderful small kingdom not too far from the dark kingdom. It’s name is the Kingdom of Vertai, where there are millions of flowers of every kind with birds surrounding every corner, singing their beautiful songs in harmony. I swear when I passed through it was like a fairytale book that had come to life, so I just had to take her there.

We got permission from the king, and three of his best knights traveled with us for protection. It would take four hours to and from, but it would definitely worth the trip.

Hailei and I saw beautiful hills and forests and rivers along the way, enjoying the fresh air and sunlight. Although I found comfort in the dark, sunbeams sure did feel wonderful on the skin.

The knights stopped and parked the wagon at the tall wall surrounding the kingdom, and let us find our way inside from a nearby entrance. We happily ran toward the small entryway with excitement, and peered through it to see the kingdoms fields.

Oh.... _oh no...._

The fields were nothing but brown, charred grass, and the buildings at the other side of the fields were burnt down, destroyed, or seemingly vacant. In the distance, you could see that their original yellow flag had been replaced with a maroon flag, presenting the Qiandga Warriors symbol in the center. What was also very noticeable and sent chills down my spine was the fact that it was completely silent: not a single bird’s song played.

The second Hailei saw, she gasped and covered her mouth. 

“Hailei I... I had no idea...” I started to say, but she remained frozen. I couldn’t tell what the look in her eyes held... fear, sadness, anger, or all the above. I would have mourned the loss of such a beautiful kingdom, but right now I wanted to do nothing else other than preventing her from breaking down.

She slowly started to step forward, walking into the charred fields. “Hailei, wait!” I call out, unsure of what she was doing or if the area was even safe. 

She dropped to the ground, slowly feeling the dead plants beneath her. I ran over to her to help her incase she had fallen, but she ignored my help as she just looked straight ahead, tears streaming down her eyes. “This is all my fault.” She whispered, sounding angry and ashamed. My eyes widened, “What? Hailei what are you talking about? None of this is your fault! You didn’t do any of this!” I say, kneeling down on the grass with her to meet her eye level. She shook her head, “No, Adira. It is very much my fault, because the whole world is counting on me to save them. And what am I doing? I’m hiding away in my room, not even attempting to be prepared to stop them. It’s becoming quite obvious that no army can take them down... I have a destiny and I’m just letting people die while I stay in hiding!” She exclaims, standing up and throwing a dead flower across the grass. I stand up as well, and sigh deeply. I didn’t know what to say just yet, because she was right about a few things: no army has the potential to completely stop the Qiandga Warriors, and people are counting on The Dragon to save them. However, it’s hard to remember that The Dragon lives within the small, delicate girl that I put all my heart and soul into. I grab her hand gently, and caress it with my thumb. “I know this is a lot to process at the moment, but I need you to remember that nothing that had happened by the Qiandga Warriors was your fault. If you wish to stop them I will not hold you back, but I beg of you to not ever blame yourself for any of this.” I say, using my free hand to wipe her tears. She sniffled, then looked at me with despair. I opened my arms for a hug, and she accepted the offer in a heartbeat. We stood in the silence as we mourned and attempted to calm down from the shock, but had eventually drawn our attention to the knights as they stood at the entry way.  
“We must go now, we aren’t sure if any of the Warriors are still there and cannot take the risk.” One of them said, and we broke from our hug to follow them out and ride back home.

The ride was mostly silent, with the exception of the knights discussing small battle plans and politics. As for Hailei, she had rested her head on my shoulder, very lost in thought. I would have tried to distract her from the incident that had just happened, but I knew she needed to work some things out in her head in order to find peace.

We got home around nine, where I walked her back up to her room and helped her get undressed from her disguise. Once she was in her nightgown, she laid on the bed and motioned me to lay beside her. 

“So... have you thought about what you’re going to do?” I ask, and she nods. “Yeah. I need find the book ‘The Legend of The Dragon.’ My prophecy and instruction for gaining more power and defeating the Warriors will be in there.” She answered, turning over to look at me. “Can you help me find it?” She asks, and I nod. “Of course. We’ll have to visit the library, but I hear there’s a secret room in the castle where important books, weapons, and other magical things are. If it’s not at the library, I bet it would be there.” I say, and she nods. “Thank you, Adi. I couldn’t get anywhere without you.” 

I flash Hailei a smile and flip her over to lay on top of her, playfully giving her kisses. She giggled as she gave fake protests, finally smiling again since before we had entered the Kingdom of Vertai. That’s when I took it up a notch and started tickling her, making her squirm and yelp. After a few minutes of playing around and basking in each other’s presences without the gloomy moods floating in the air, I had finally decided to depart back to my own room to tell my brothers what happened on our trip. Before I left though, I tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. “Sleep well, little bird. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I whisper, and she mouths “Goodnight.” back to me before dozing off.

____________________________

“Were the people still living there?” Quirin asked, folding his and Hector’s clothes on the bed. “We couldn’t tell since we only stood at the entrance. We didn’t want to get too close incase the Warriors were still there. I will say that many buildings were destroyed or burnt to the ground, so there’s a good chance people had to find new homes... if they survived.” I shrug, helping him fold. “That’s horrible... so what is she going to do when she gets the book? How’s she going to defeat them?” He wondered, putting his pile of clothes into his dresser. “Well that’s why she needs the book, we don’t know quite yet.” I explain and he nods to show his understanding. “Ah, I see. So, you’re wanting to break into the royal vault to get it if it’s not at the library? Can’t you just ask or something?” He raised an eyebrow, giving his ‘are you sure you’re not gonna rethink this’ look. “No, the king and queen don’t want her to go out and fight. They promised her parents they’d protect her, so if she were to do anything it would be an act of rebellion.” I said, and he sighed. “Well... I hope you have a good excuse if they catch you. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be grounded from seeing her or anything.” I laugh at his remark, and put Hector’s folded clothes in his dresser. “I’ll be fine, I’m an expert at this, remember?” I smile, and he just rolls his eyes. “Yeah-yeah. Now get dressed for bed, it’s getting late.” Quirin undid his own covers and laid carefully next to Hector, who had decided to go to sleep in his bed tonight instead of his own a few hours earlier. I smile at the two before I put on my sleepwear and blow out the last candle, falling asleep soon after.

____________________

I meet back up with Hailei at the center of the library, hands empty. “Couldn’t find it either?” She asks, and I shake my head. “Nope. I searched every shelf... no luck.” She pouts and looks at the door. “Well, I guess that leaves us to the royal vault.” Hailei said as she looked uneasy, so I squeezed her hand to give her reassurance. “Alright, but we’ll need Laurie for this one.” I say, and she gives me a confused look.

_____________________

“AAAHHHH! Guards! Guards! Help!” Laurie shouts at the end of the underground floor, soon followed by the sound of metal footsteps. Hailei and I quickly sneak out from behind the hallway’s curtains, rushing toward the vault. 

“Princess!? What’s wrong!?” I hear a knight shout in the distance. 

“Oh the worst thing ever has happened!The weasels escape again and chased me downstairs all the way from the upper floor! I think I saw them run down that hall to hide!” Laurie exclaimed, and one of the knights groaned. “Alright... I’ll go get the nets.”

I shook my head and chuckled at the Princess’s overly-dramatic acting, then started to pick the vault’s lock with a bobby pin. After a few seconds of twisting and turning, the vault opened and I rushed inside with Hailei right behind me.

“Let’s see... an amulet? No. A glowing sword? Cool but no. A rock with a circle and three lines carved on it? No. -Aha! ‘The Legend of The Dragon!’ and uh... this pendent thing? It has a bunch of missing stones in it, but it’s chain is bookmarked inside the book. Do I bring it?” I look at Hailei, and she shrugs. “I guess so. It might be important.” I nod at her and take the book, hastily running out and shutting the door behind us. 

We sneak out of the underground floor, hearing Laurie continue to send the knights on a wild goose chase. Once she sees that we made it out, she quickly smiles and awkwardly laughs. “Uh, haha! Actually I think they might have went back outside and into the stable area again! Those pesky things! Well uuuh, anyways, see ya!” She chirps, skipping away toward the stairs. “She’s a lot like her father.” I heard one knight say.

_____________________

We close my bedroom door behind us, and throw the book on my bed to open it up. Quirin was currently occupied with a board game that Hector forced him to play, but soon the boys made their way over to see the big mysterious book as well.

“Page twenty-eight says that ‘The Dragon must obtain all physical and internal chakras to possess their ultimate power.’ What does that mean?” Hailei pondered. “Chakras are like the concentrated energy centers of your body. We were taught about them back at the temples... They have the responsibility of incorporating and emanating energy to keep us functioning at optimal levels. Some people can learn to open them, and eventually find the hardest chakra to be found; which is their third eye. I’ve never heard of physical chakras before though.” I explain, and turn the page. “The next page reads: ‘The seven chakras will be found scattered across the world, where you will complete a task and open the internal chakra before receiving the physical one.’ Look! There’s a map in this pocket!” I exclaim, pulling out the faded and worn paper. I unfolded it, and it showed the map of the world with different colored dots scattered in different countries. The map also had a map key explaining which chakras were what.

“Is this saying that you’ll have to go to all these places? There’s no way! No boat or wagon could get you there fast enough!” Quirin said, but Hailei looked to the side with a slightly secretive face. “Well... I _am_ The Dragon.” She said, but Quirin just cocked an eyebrow. “What are you trying to say?” He asked, and she blushed. Hailei didn’t like talking about how she could turn into a 80-foot long dragon, because it made her feel beastly. I always thought it was really cool, but she believed otherwise so I didn’t talk about it around her too much. She flipped to one of the earlier pages she skimmed over and pointed to it. “...Can turn into a dragon of eighty feet in length... oh wow! Really? That’s amazing!” Quirin read in awe, but she just nervously laughed and looked away. Quirin frowned, “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything.” Hailei quickly looked at him with wide eyes, “Oh no no! You’re fine! It’s just... a bit out of character for me I guess. I certainly don’t feel like someone who can turn into a giant beast... I’m a bit ashamed of it.” 

“Why? That sounds like literally the coolest thing of all existence! I’d die to have powers that turn me into a dragon! I’d eat so many bad guys and light everything in fire and- OW!” Hector barged in, but was quickly stopped after I stomped on his foot. “Hector, The Dragon doesn’t just ‘eat bad guys and light things on fire.’ They’re meant to bring peace and harmony to the world.” I corrected him, but he just rolled his eyes and pouted on the bed. “I was just sayin’!” 

“So I guess I’ll have to go out and get the chakras... I’ll have to leave on my own when there’s no knights around.” Hailei sighed, and I feel my heart stop. “What!? On your own!? No way! There’s no way in hell I’m letting you go on a crazy journey like that without me!” I cry out, making her look at me with worried eyes. “But Adira I couldn’t bare to have anything happen to you out there... plus what about your brothers? I can’t let you leave your family behind.” She sighed, and I look Quirin with a pleasing face. “Brother...” I say, but he interrupts me before I go on. “I’m going with you. I’m not gonna let my little sister go out and get killed because someone wasn’t watching her or preventing her from causing _too_ much trouble. Plus I’d like to help contribute to defeating the men who killed my father. I’ll have Laurie watch Hector here where it’s safe.” Hailei and I look at him with shocked expressions, but are quickly drawn to Hector as he jumps off the bed in protest. “What!? No way! I don’t wanna stay here while you and Adira kick butt!! I’m going too!” He insisted, but Quirin just shook his head. “Absolutely not. You’re too young to-“ “Adira traveled across multiple countries alone when she was seven! I’m eleven now, brother! That’s twice that age!” “Well actually it’s not-“ Quirin butted in but was talked over once more “And I’ve been training with you and Sister for almost two years! Please, please, _please_ let me go! I’ll be super good and listen to you and clean my room every day when we get back and I’ll not fight with Adira the whole time!” Hector begged, giving his classic puppy dog face as a finishing touch. Quirin sighed, then looked up at the ceiling. “God, I’m going to regret this... fine, you can come if it’s alright with Hailei.” Hailei smiled, and gave us a small bow. “Thank you, all of you. I would be honored to have you all travel with me. I do ask of you to watch out for yourselves first though, as I couldn’t bare to lose any of you.” We bow our heads back at her and nod in agreement. “Of course, I’ll make sure both of them are safe along the way.” Quirin promised, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

“Alright well... I guess we should leave a week from now. We _cannot_ tell anyone, though, because if the king or queen found out they’d do everything in their power to stop us. That also means Laurie, because even though I love her dearly, she has a tendency to talk about secret things on accident.” Hailei sighed, and Quirin looked down at the floor, obviously distraught at the thought of leaving her for what may be a long time.

“Alright, we’ll keep it a secret. We will have to pack small since we will be traveling on your back. Hailei, I’ll carry your items as well.” I say, closing the book and placing it in my drawer under some of my clothes to keep it hidden.

“Yes. Thank you to the three of you once more, we shall meet in the small field in the middle of the forest across from the gondolas on Sunday at noon. Until then, I shall return to my room. Will you walk me there, Adira?” Hailei asked, and I automatically agreed by giving her my arm and heading out the door. “Of course, little bird.”

_____________________

In addition to the thin robe, wrap, leggings, and boots I was already wearing, I packed another dress and leggings in my bag. Hailei distributed plenty of coins earlier to all of us, so I added those as well. I had a sword strap with my favorite iron sword attached to me, and my belt held two daggers and a tiny bamboo dart blowgun. Quirin made me put back a lot of my snacks since they wouldn’t fit, but I did manage to keep some roasted nuts and lemon scones. 

Quirin brought one book, a second change of clothes, a locket of some kind, and first-aid supplies in his bag. As for Hector, he had to pack and re-pack his bag, as Quirin kept making him switch out things. “Can Archie come too? Laurie’s fox doesn’t like him all too much so she probably couldn’t watch him for me. I swear every time he sees a weasel he gets all freaked out for some reason.” He said as Quirin examined his bag for the fifth time. “I guess so, but remember that if we’re in danger you need to put yourself first and be willing to spare him if the situation calls for it.” Quirin warned, and Hector carelessly nodded. “I know, I know.”

“Okay Hector, good job on finding a second outfit to wear this time, and this sketchbook is thin enough to fit so that’s fine too, but you can only bring _one_ stuffed animal, so pick your favorite.” Quirin said, and Hector’s jaw dropped. “What!? Pick my favorite!? How could I choose between Apollo and Benny!?” He cried out, but Quirin wasn’t having it. “One or none.” He said, keeping it short. We had to leave tomorrow and the day was coming to an end. Hector huffed and put Apollo back on his bed. “Sorry buddy... I’ll take you on the next big adventure.” He whispered to the stuffed tiger, watching as Quirin buckled up his bag and hung it in the rack next to mine. “Okay you two, we have a big day tomorrow so we need to get some good rest.” He announced, getting out his sleepwear. “Let’s get dressed and call it a day.”

______________________

Quirin met up with Hector and I in the garden a few minutes later, eyes a bit red. He had just come back from telling Laurie the news, so he must have gotten a tad emotional. “You alright, brother?” I ask, and he nods. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. She knows that what I’m doing will be good in the end and said she was happy for me... I just hope we’re not gone for as long as I’m worried we will be.” I put a hand on his shoulder, “I’m sure everything will be fine, we’ll be back before we know it.” I tried to say in a positive manner.

“Alright, are we all ready to go?” Hailei calls out as she peers into the field. We all turn to look at her, then I give assuring looks to both my brothers. “Yep! Let’s go kick some Qiandga-ass!” Hector cheers, only to get the back of his head lightly smacked by Quirin. “Language!” He scolded, and Hector groaned in response. “Okay, I’ll need some room to, uh, transform.” She blushed, and we stepped back to where the trees were to give her space. “Alright, just climb up by my side-horns to hop on. Then we’ll take off-“ 

“WAIT!! WAIT FOR ME!!!” We hear a girl’s voice, along with fast footsteps and heavy breathing. 

It was Laurie!

“Laurie! What are you doing here!?” Quirin asked, both happy and confused. She wore more movable clothes and carried a bag on her, huffing from all the running. 

“As soon as you left I started packing to join you guys! I can’t let my best friend, boyfriend, and his siblings travel the world without me! Are you nuts!? I’ve been trapped in this castle my whole life doing nothing but practicing manners, attending boring lessons, and trying to look perfect in the public eye. The only thing keeping me sane is you guys, so I’d die without you here! I don’t care if it’s dangerous, I’ll take it if it means being free and helping end this damned war!” Laurie exclaimed, and Quirin immediately hugged the girl, picking her up off the ground a few inches. “I’m so glad you’re coming, I was afraid I’d die of missing you too much!” Quirin confessed, and Laurie laughed with joy, “Aww! Babe! I could never let you leave without me! I love you, remember?” She gushed. “I love you too, Lauralie.” He said back, but they were shortly cut off by a grossed out eleven-year-old. “Yuck! You two aren’t gonna do this throughout the whole trip, right?” He groaned, and I burst out laughing. Quirin rolled his eyes at the boy while Laurie ruffled the kid’s hair. “Oh don’t you worry Hector, I have plenty of love to go around!” She teases, causing him to yelp and cover his head in protest. 

A deep roar came from behind us, putting our playful moment on pause. We turned to see a long, giant dragon, waiting for us to hop on. 

“Oh, right. We should probably go before they start searching for us.” I said, starting to help Hector get on while Quirin helped Laurie. 

Once we settled, I pulled out the map. “Alright, according to our map, our first stop is for ‘The Root’ chakra, located at... The Forest of No Return? That’s in Germany, not too far from here.” I say, raising a brow at the unexpected location. “That place is real!?” Hector shivered, but instead of any protest from Hailei (even though she can’t speak anyways), she just started to gently lift up into the air, taking off once she was above the trees. As I held Hector in place on Hailei’s back to make sure he didn’t topple over, I looked back at our home, giving it one last ‘goodbye’ in my head.


	18. The Dragon (The Root)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira, Quirin, Hector, and Princess Lauralie join Hailei on her mission to defeat the Qiandga Warriors, pursuing her destiny as The Dragon. To gain all the powers needed to defeat them, however, she will need to collect all the chakra stones that are scattered all around the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so excited for these chapters, not gonna lie. I have them all mapped out already and I will say they get more in depth the further the chapter. This one is a bit more simplistic and close to the other previous chapters since they are just starting out, so bare with me! .... or is it... bear with me? Hmmm... what an excellent writer I am. Also! I’ll be posting every two days now, since these chapters are longer and a bit more challenging for me to write.
> 
> Edmund: 35  
> Ophelia: 34  
> Quirin: 17  
> Adira: 16  
> Laurie and Hailei: 15  
> Hector: 11

Hailei’s POV:

_”The fears we don’t face become our limits.” - Robin Sharma_

My room was the safest place I knew, both comforting and secure. Even if I desired a normal life, I constantly threw those desires to the side in trade for that sweet enclosed space. Now that those walls were gone, I felt that security fade away after I left it behind back at the Dark Kingdom. The world was a scary place, making it hard to find my new form of safety. 

We settled down on a wide mountain ledge in order to rest before the morning, where we would enter ‘The Forest of No Return.’ I walked toward the others as they stretched and unpacked their bags, laying out the thin sleeping bags they all brought with them. “How was my flying?” I ask, but was soon disrupted by the sound of Hector throwing up behind a bush in the distance. Quirin gave me an apologetic look, “I guess he just gets bad motion sickness, you were perfectly fine.” I gave him my thanks with a smile, soon moving my eyes toward Adira. She had already laid out both of our sleeping bags, which were so close to one another that they almost overlapped. “I’ll go get some wood for a fire... and uh... check on Hector as well.” Quirin said, leaving Adira, Laurie, and I alone. 

When he left, Laurie sneakily moved her bag beside Quirin’s, closing the 20 inch gap. She sat down to eat some of the berries she packed, enjoying the mountain’s view. Archie, who had been sniffing around the area, chittered as he hopped up on her lap, snatched some berries from her hand, and ran up a tree. “Hey! That was mine! Ugh... it’s always the weasels.” The redheaded girl hollered at the small thief, propping up her elbow and resting her chin on the palm of her hand. 

Quirin came back with wood and a happier Hector, face flushing at the rearrangement of sleeping bags; which didn’t make sense to me, because to my understanding they’ve been much closer before. Archie climbed down from the tree, giving Hector a couple of the berries he stole. “Ooo! Berries! Thanks Archie!” He said, and Adira gagged at the sight of him eating food that was in the weasels mouth.

Quirin placed the wood in the center, followed by surrounding it with a few rocks. I walked over to start the fire, which led to Hector watching closely in awe. “Back up, you idiot. You’re gonna catch on fire if you get any closer.” Adira yanked Hector backwards from the back of his tunic, and he glared at her. “I’m fine Adira! I don’t need you to babysit me!” He whined, but she had only rolled her eyes and ignored him. Once Quirin made sure everything was set, he walked over to his sleeping bag and sat down. Laurie scooted over to lean on him, holding his hand and gazing into the fire. 

“I wonder what father is thinking right now...” Laurie sighed, receiving a comforting caress on the cheek from her boyfriend. “I’m sure he’ll understand in the long run.” He whispered in an attempt to ease her worrying. Adira let me lay my head in her lap, fingers running softly through my hair while her free hand held the tea she was sipping on to ease her throat. She said she might have some sort of throat problem like bronchitis, but I haven’t heard her cough a single time all day. 

I also became curious as to what was going on back at the Dark Kingdom, but remained silent. Hector threw some leaves in the fire, finding the act of them shriveling up very entertaining. “Hector, please stop burning the leaves, you’ll feed the fire too much or some could fly out and land on someone.” Quirin warned. The young boy groaned, stomping back to his sleeping bad to hide under the covers while mumbling. I’d like to think that was his new way of ‘slamming a door.’ Since he had become numb to it throughout the years, Quirin didn’t show a single smidge of reaction. 

“I sure won’t miss waking up at 6am for morning practices.” Adira laughed, noticeably trying to lighten up the mood. Quirin chuckled back at his sister’s remark. “Yeah, that wasn’t something I looked forward to all that much.” He responded, then sketched while yawning loudly. “Well... I think we should get some sleep. Who knows how long we’ll be in the forest.” “Well according to the name, never. But I’m sure there’s gotta be some way out of there. The book has a few notes and hints in it, so I’ll read through it tomorrow morning before we go.” Adira stated to Quirin, and he gives a curt nod before laying down, letting Laurie lay on his chest. Adira also lays down, and I curl up next to her to where I could comfortably lay my head on her stomach. Archie jumped across the dirt and squeezed into Hector’s sleeping bag, joining the pouting ball under his blankets.

Before my eyes shut, I stare in awe at the sky. The stars were always so beautiful, each constellation unique. My favorite one was the five colorful stars, that made the shape of a star in itself. 

________________________

“Okay everyone, we’re trying to look for ‘The Root’ chakra. The pages over this chakra state that it is the energy of safety, blocked by the emotion of fear. While we’re in the forest, we need to focus on those two points. What makes us feel afraid, and what makes us feel safe. Since this is our first mission, I’m not too sure how we’re going to find the physical chakra, but the book came with this little map that’s in the form of a fortune teller game. Look! It changes as you fold it too!” Adira announced, showing everyone the magic of the red folded origami map. As she presented it, she stopped to look around. “Hey, where’s Hector?” She wondered, and we all anxiously looked around for the youngest member of our group. 

“Hector? Oh my god, Hector!?” Quirin called out, only to hear ruffling in the trees beside the trail.

“I’m here! I was just lookin’ for stuff to eat.” He shrugged, not seeing what the big deal was. Quirin sighed of relief, then gave him a stern look. “Don’t ever walk off like that without telling anyone first, and don’t eat anything wild without letting us give you the okay!” Hector huffed, crossing his arms. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” “No, not whatever. I will have Hailei turn around and bring you back if you don’t start behaving!” Quirin warned, making Hector look worried. “No...! I’ll be good.” He whined, and Quirin just nodded, grabbing his hand to make sure he doesn’t run off again. “Alright, let’s go.” The eldest said, and Laurie, Adira, and I followed behind the two boys.

We walked toward the eerie forest’s opening, stopping before going inside. Quirin led the way, stopping and turning to say a few words. “Alright, everyone remember to stick together. I don’t want anyone getting lost.” He said, eyeing Hector. Hector turned away with a small scowl. The rest of us nodded in agreement, and headed forward. Laurie grabbed onto Quirin’s arm, and I felt Adira take my hand and give it a comforting squeeze. Hector walked in front of Adira and I by Quirin’s orders so we could keep an eye on him.

______________________

The forest was not as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, it was kinda creepy, but we hadn’t run into any beasts or witches just yet. We even got to see pretty flowers here and there, but didn’t pluck them because the siblings warned us that doing that was a bad idea, whatever they meant.

“Hey guys... I think... I think we’re going in circles.” Laurie said, slowing down and examining a specific flower. 

“Why do you say that, love?” Quirin asked. 

“I’ve seen this exact flower like four times now, I swear.” She pointed, while Adira pulled out her origami map. “Hmmm... there are these weird splotches to the right about a quarter of a mile ahead. I think that’s a land pit, which will send us to a new place. We could try that?” She offered, and we all unanimously agreed. 

As we made our way up the path, the ground rumbled. Before we could run, we fell through the portal beneath our feet.

As we landed on new land, we looked around, making sure everyone made it. “Well, at least we’re somewhere new!” Laurie chirped. “Where to next, sister?” Quirin leaned over to watch her fold and unfold the map. “Up the mountain and through the swamps.” She said, seeming unsure of the possible conditions those areas held. Even so, we moved forward, searching for some kind of answer.

We climbed up the mountain and jumped on stones through the swamp, watching the light of day die out through the tops of the trees. We decided to find the safest spot possible, setting up camp again.

Once we had everything laid out and the fire was going, Quirin and Adira went out to search for something to eat. “I wanna go too!” Hector begged, but the two shook their heads. “No, stay here with the girls. It’s too dangerous outside of the camp set up.” Adira rejected, making Hector’s face turn bright red with anger. “Ugh! You guys don’t let me do anything! I don’t need protection or safety!” He yelled, but nothing had changed the two older siblings’ minds. “I won’t tolerate this any more, Hector. Stay here.” Quirin ordered. Honestly, his tone scared _me_ and I wasn’t even the one he was talking too. Once they left, Hector angrily kicked a rock and sat down on the ground, arms crossed. Laurie and I tried to talk about another subject to get the event off his mind, like what kinds of animals we thought might live here, but alas that did not change his mood at all.

“I have to pee, I’ll be right back.” He huffed, getting up whilst walking toward the hidden trees. We didn’t stop him, because what were we going to do? Tell him he couldn’t? And we certainly weren’t going to supervise him for _that._ We gave each other nervous looks, only to feel the ground a few yards from us shake.

_Uh oh._

______________________

Adira’s POV:

As Quirin and I walked back with the fish we caught, he heard ground rumbling in the distance. I checked my map, relaxing as I saw that the land pit wasn’t where the set up was. “It’s not where they are.” I tell my brother, and he nods with relief.

However, that relief ended shortly as we heard the girls call out for us. We looked at each other, then ran as fast as we could towards them.

“What happened!? Are you alright!?” Quirin said, sword drawn out. “Hector fell into a land pit! He went over there to pee but a land pit got him!! We didn’t know! We couldn’t save him in time!” Laurie cried out, voice shaky and eyes filled with tears. Quirin’s face went wide as he dropped his sword, body frozen. I too froze, unable to think or even _breathe._

“So... where is he?” Quirin said under his breath. No one answered, because no one knew.

__________________________

Quirin paced with his arms behind his head, thinking about how we could find him, and what kinds of monsters might have eaten him. I sat in silence, fear making my body freeze up. I knew that this mission was about helping Hailei find _her_ safety, but we had a new priority ahead of us at the moment: finding our little brother.

“Quirin! Stop pacing! We have to keep moving because we’ll never find him here!” Laurie exclaimed, snapping Quirin out of it. “But if we stay here maybe he’ll find his way back!” He tried to reason, but to our ‘luck,’ the ground started shaking beneath us. However, Hailei just enough feet away to stay in place, starting to separate the three of us and her. I snap out of my frozen state, running as fast as I could toward my little bird. Yet it was too late, and we sunk. To add on to the chaos among us, most of my stuff was left behind back with Hailei, leaving me with nothing but a dagger and a handful of nuts.

_______________________

Hector’s POV:

I ran through the forest’s trails, calling out for my brother and sister every minute or two. I knew I said I could handle things on my own and all, but... I didn’t realize how _scary_ the forest was. In fact, I was so distracted by the creepy darkness around me, that I had tripped on a rock, cutting my leg.

“Ow! Quirin I cut my-“ I cry out, but stop as I realize he wasn’t there to patch up my cut this time. Quirin _always_ bandaged up my cuts and scrapes. He’d always gently wrap the wound and pat my head, saying stuff like “Every cut is proof that you’re strong enough to keep going.” or “When you trip that means someone’s thinking about you.” I would have reached for Benny or Archie for comfort, but they both were resting in my backpack.

I hear the silence of the forest, and feel a scarier feeling than having monsters or bossy siblings around: the feeling of being alone.

________________________

Hailei’s POV:

I swiftly move through the forest’s trails, unsure of where I’m going or what on earth I even needed to do to find the chakra stone. Although I was alone like before, I didn’t have the secure walls surrounding me; I was not safe anymore.

My protector was gone, probably anxiously searching for both her little brother and I. I knew nothing of fighting nor this forest, and had no resources to help me learn. I was alone, and I was afraid.

_____________________

Quirin’s POV:

“This is awful! We lost The Dragon, we lost our little brother, and WE’RE STUCK IN AN ENDLESS MAZE OF A CREEPY FOREST WITH NOTHING BUT A STUPID MAP IN THE SHAPE OF A TOY.” I yelled, only to have Adira glare at me. “‘The Dragon’ has a name, you know. And it’s not stupid, it’s the thing that’s going to get us out of here.” I look down in embarrassment. “You’re right, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to snap like that... I’m just...” “Afraid?” Adira finishes for me, and I caved in. “Yeah, afraid.” I admitted out loud, feeling a small hand on my back. “Love, we understand you’re scared. We are too! But we have to keep calm. What makes you feel calm and safe?” She asks, and I think for a moment. What _does_ make me feel safe? I look at her, and immediately am reminded of the answer. I blush, looking away. 

“Quirin?” She raised an eyebrow, and my face turned red. “Oh it’s silly, really.” I assure her, but she grabs both of my hands and gives me a serious look, telling me to continue.

“Uh... well... when I look into your eyes.” I admit, and she gives a sheepish smile. “Awww! Oh Quirin, you’re such a sweetheart! For me, I feel safe when I’m in your arms.” She said, pulling me into a hug. In bask in the moment, until we pull away and look at Adira, who was calmly sitting on a high rock. 

“What about you, sister?” I question, and she opens her eyes. “I think back to when I was at the temples, meditating under the warm sun with my master by my side.”

“Well... lets try that then! Let’s do what makes us feel safe!” My girlfriend suggested, and we all seemed to agree.

I looked down at Laurie as I held her in my arms, and Adira crosses her legs and closed her eyes again.

After a minute or so of finding our peace, the ground beneath us shook.

_______________________

Hector’s POV:

Although it had only been a few hours since my last meal, all this walking made me really hungry. Adira always cooked me things or brought me snacks... and Quirin would always pack me lunches. I didn’t know a thing about wild berries or nuts or fruits! The only food I ate before them was trash or the leftovers my mother had fed me. I couldn’t hunt any animals either, because that’s like manslaughter! I usually could ignore it when the animal was already hunted and cooked, but for me to kill the animal myself? I don’t think I could handle such a thing. My siblings thought that was silly, but I didn’t care, they just didn’t understand it like I did.

My tummy rumbled again, and I started to feel dizzy from the hunger. Luckily, I had finally found a bush with berries. I didn’t recognize them, but I was in no position to pass berries up. I took a handful and hummed at the sweet juice hitting my tongue. The hunger was gone, although the dizziness didn’t really stop. 

All of the sudden I felt as if I was in a complete different place, where I smelled things like trash and rain water.

Fear ran down my spine as I tried to escape the ditch of trash and scraps around me, but the walls surrounding me only grew taller and taller. As I tried to get up, glowing vines sprouted out of the ground and help my limbs down.

“No!!! Brother! Sister! Quirin! Adira! Please!!! I need you!” I scream and wail, feeling nauseous as the earth spun at ninety miles per hour. I begged and cried and shouted for what felt like eternity, until I heard the glorious sound of familiar voices from a distance.

“Hector?!” They called out.

Suddenly, the walls and trash around me disappeared, and the vines let go, sinking back into the ground.

I sat up, trying to get a hold of myself before two people knocked the wind out of me. I smelled the familiar sent of rich soil and green tea. 

It was Quirin and Adira!

The two hugged me desperately, Quirin harshly petting the back of my head and Adira rocking me slightly as she hung on. 

“Brother! Sister!” I cry out as they still don’t let go, both of them shaking. “Hector! Oh I’m so glad you’re okay, honey. I was so scared that we lost you!” Quirin said in his concerned-parent voice.

“Are you alright, sweetheart? Your leg is bleeding! Why were you on the ground earlier? You look sick.” Adira examined, leaning back from the hug along with Quirin. 

“Yeah I... I...!” I tried to say I was fine, but I just couldn’t.

“I WAS S-S-SO SCARED. I’M SO S-SORRY I SAID I DIDN’T NEED YOU GUYS. I DO! I NEED YOU SO BAD! I DON’T FEEL SAFE WITHOUT YOU!” I wailed, feeling like a helpless injured animal. They both went back in for a hug, surrounding me in the comfort and peace I craved for ever since I got lost. “I know honey, I know. You’re safe now. We’re here. We’ll always be here.” Quirin assured, and we felt the ground beneath us rumble once more.

_______________________

Hailei’s POV:

“The Root. The power of safety, blocked by fear.” I repeated to myself out loud. What did it mean? How could anyone feel safe in a place like this! It didn’t make sense!

I couldn’t bare to walk any longer. I even tried flying above the trees to find my way out, but it just sent be through some portal that made me fly up through the ground again to some other area. I sat in a garden with large flowers, admiring them without touching them. I thought of sleeping in the same spot, but something within me felt uneasy. 

It was quiet... too quiet.

However, the eery silence was interrupted by the sound of odd growling and fast wing-flapping.

I slowly turn around, and meet face-to-face with a giant demon bug that had two giant fangs. For a few seconds I just stood frozen in place, but then I screamed bloody murder and ran in the opposite direction as fast as I could. My heart pounded out of my chest, and I was just about to holler “Guards!” before I realized just where I was and _who_ I was.

“The Root. The power of safety, blocked by fear.”

The power of safety.... blocked by fear....

I swiftly moved into my best attempt at a battle stance, and shot out blades of fire toward the monsters. Some had come down easily, but there were too much for me to handle on my own.

“HYAAAH!!” I hear a familiar war cry, seeing the love of my life jump on one of the monsters, taking it down with nothing but a dagger and her fists. Soon Quirin also came out from the trees, swinging his sword at them. Laurie was right, he _was_ a great fighter. Hector managed to hop on one of the monsters, taking it down in under a minute with no weapons, just feral hits and kicks... and also bites? I didn’t want to think about it. As for Laurie, she transformed her dance techniques into fighting techniques, dodging and kicking the monsters with grace.

However I knew that even if we fought them all, we wouldn’t be achieving anything until I completed my task.

As the demon-bugs hurdled toward me, I stood my ground, and let all my anxieties go. I knew I was not in a safe, hidden bedroom anymore. I was where I was supposed to be, _trying to make a difference._

My stability wasn’t in a room, it was wherever my destiny wanted me to be...  
Right here, right now.

I felt something change within me, like my weight had shifted and gravity became visible to my eyes. My body and mind strengthened, making safety and peace feel natural and at hand.

All of the sudden, all the monsters stopped fighting, and flew away with no explanation. We watched them leave with dumbfounded expressions, then looked at each other with hope for an answer.

“Congratulations, young dragon.” We hear a voice say behind us. Everyone jumped at the unexpected voice, and turned to face the direction that the voice came from.

It was a man who looked almost transparent. His smile was genuine, and his presence was peaceful.

“Who are you?” I ask, but he only chuckled. “People call me Murt. I have something for you! I believe you’ve been looking for... this!” He said while swiftly pulling out a red stone from behind his back. He walked toward me, and gently placed it in my hand.

“It is important to find stability in even the most chaotic scenes. You, my child, must remember that along your journey. Fear is the enemy, while peace will give you strength.” The man stated, bowing to me. I gently placed the stone in the pendant, and bowed back at him in return. “Thank you, Sir Murt.” I whispered. He gave a friendly wave to the rest of us, and walked off into the woods. If you looked closely, you could almost see him walk right through a tree and disappear.

I turn back to everyone to see all of their jaws dropped to the floor. Hector broke out of it first, yanking on Quirin’s sleeve. “Did you hear what he said his name was!? It’s the kid from the book! He’s real!” He squealed, but Quirin has another issue on his mind. “How exactly... do we get out though?” He asks, then suddenly the ground shook.

As we found our balance on the new ground, we saw none other than the exit right in front of us, with all our stuff aligned in front! 

“Archie!!!” Hector skipped over to the weasel, who was munching on some trail mix in Quirin’s bag. “Well so much for that.” Quirin muttered.

We all stepped out into the morning light, ready to find a new resting point to finally get some rest.

“Well, we found the first chakra! That seemed pretty easy, let’s home the others are easy too!” Adira said, hands on her hips as she look off into the sunrise ahead of her. “Don’t jinx it!” Quirin groaned, cleaning the trail mix out of his bag since the hole made by Archie led to the mix spilling everywhere. He then pulled something else out of his bag once it was trail mix free, walking over to Hector. 

Quirin had him sit down and put out his leg, placing a bandaid over a cut. He then stood and patted his head while saying “Every cut is proof that you’re strong enough to keep going, little brother.” Hector smiled, standing up to give him a hug.

“Okay folks, the second chakra is ‘The Sacral.’ Energy of pleasure, enemy of guilt. It says it’s in Schastlivy City in the Tsardom of Russia, interesting. It’ll take a few days if flying to get there, so we should find somewhere to rest.” Adira announced as she read her map.

I give myself some room to transform, and let them board my back. I follow Adira’s directions as I soar in the sky, admiring the view of the sunrise. Even if the journey ahead of me is challenging, I know I am safe and stable.


	19. The Dragon (The Sacral)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira, Quirin, Hector, and Princess Lauralie join Hailei on her mission to defeat the Qiandga Warriors, pursuing her destiny as The Dragon. To gain all the powers needed to defeat them, however, she will need to collect all the chakra stones that are scattered all around the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next upload on Saturday around 8-10! Also sorry for any typos! I’ll try and fix them if I spot any.
> 
> This chapter doesn’t have as much action as the other ones, but it’s kinda cozy in my opinion! I hope ya like it!
> 
> Edmund: 35  
> Ophelia: 34  
> Quirin: 17  
> Adira: 16  
> Laurie and Hailei: 15  
> Hector: 11

Laurie’s POV:

They never gave me dragon-riding lessons back at the castle, but I seemed to manage well as Hailei gracefully slithered through the air. A lot of things were on my mind during this peaceful flight, like “I wonder what travelers think when they see Hailei flying as we pass them?” or “Did anyone bring a coat for the Tsardom of Russia?” 

But one question _really_ stuck out in my head, and that was “What are my parents thinking right now?”

Since day one of my life, I’ve always strived to make my parents proud. I mastered the ability of showing them my successes while hiding my failures. I’d avoid playing them what I’ve learned from piano lessons until I couldn’t get it wrong, and I only showed them my best artwork, claiming it was my first try. They weren’t really strict or judgmental parents, but I’ve always just naturally had determination on impressing them and making them believe I would make a great leader someday.

This situation, however, was too unique for me to have a good guess on how they reacted. Were they furious at me? Were they secretly happy we were trying to save the world? Were they scared for their life? Did they think I was kidnapped!?

Thinking about it all made me feel super dizzy, so I decided to think about the coats question more.

“We’re almost to the inn, go East just a bit and try to find a small town along those mountains over there.” Adira shouted as she directed Hailei. I peered a little to the left to watch us get closer to our resting spot’s destination. The mountains were snowy, and from what I could see, the small town’s buildings were all small and made of wood.

“Land behind the mountains so they don’t spot you.” Adira called out, and Hailei obeyed as she headed for the ground that was hidden from the town’s sight.

As we got off, we all shivered and covered our arms. Adira untied her wrap to put it around Hailei’s shoulders, as Quirin handed Hector and I the blankets we packed. “Let’s hurry before we get frostbite.” Adira suggested, but oddly enough I didn’t see her shivering at all.

This place was like a ghost-town! I only saw lights on in a small shop and an inn that was next door. Quirin held the door to the inn open for us, warm air feeling good on our skin. “Ahh that’s better! I was freezin’ my butt off out there!” Hector exclaimed, still wearing the blanket Quirin handed him earlier.

Adira walked up to the empty counter, and rang the small bell on the desk. After a few awkward seconds of waiting, an old lady peers out, and slowly walks out from the office area she was in. “I don’t have any extra food on me, I’m sorry.” She said with a tone that suggested we leave.

“Oh no ma’am we’re not here for food, we’d like a room.” Quirin butted in, placing 10 coins on the desk. The old lady looked confused and surprised, but took the money and scavenged for a key. “I don’t know where you kids are from or how you got money in a place and time like this, but I expect everything up in that room to still be there after you leave.” She muttered in her old Russian accent, then handed Quirin the rusty key. Quirin just smiled, completely unphased by the lady’s suspicion and coldness. “Yes ma’am! We’re not from around here, just traveling is all.” He said as he started up the stairs. “Yeah-yeah... last room on the left.” She rolled her eyes, slowly walking back into her office. 

We made our way up the creaking stairs as Hector whispered “That lady was mean and sounded funny!” Only to get shushed by his older siblings. We then waited for my boyfriend to unlock the door and hold it open for us. As we all entered the room and looked around, Hailei started a fire in the small fireplace and Adira put canned soup she recently bought at a small market into the inn-provided pot. The room had two beds with a bedside table in the center. The table’s contents had some book written in Russian, a kerosene lamp, and a key to the restrooms out in the hall. 

“The beds look comfy!” I say, falling back on the bed closest to the window. “Ah! I miss mattresses!” I added, curling up against the fur blankets. “Woah! This rug is made by some giant white animal!” Hector exclaimed, and Adira snickered. “That’s a polar bear, dummy.” Hector tilted his head with a twisted and confused face. “There are white bears? Why am I just being told this!?” He said as he slammed his fists on the floor. “I dunno, but get over here and eat your soup.” She said as she poured him a cup. 

As we all sipped on our soup around the fire, Adira pulled out the book to share more about the next chakra. 

“Alright everybody, the next chakra is said to be located in Schastlivy City in the Tsardom of Russia, not too far from here. The Sacral chakra is the energy of pleasure, and enemy of guilt. Like before, the book doesn’t give all that much instruction, _but_ it has a small note to the side that states ‘there will be no enemy but yourself’ whatever that means. But on the bright side, I’ve heard Schastlivy City is full of all kinds of cool stuff! It’s full of the friendliest people on earth, with food, toys, and animals you’ve never seen before!” Adira shared with passion in her eyes. “You got that right.” Hector mumbled while glaring at the polar bear rug. “They even have talking toy monkeys.” Adira looked toward Hector with mischief in her eyes, knowing that would grab his attention. “What!? Really!? Quirin can I get a talking toy monkey pleeeaaase.” He shook Quirin’s knee, but he looked unsure. “I don’t know little brother, that sounds expensive and we’re trying to save our money for needs... we’ll check the prices _after_ we find coats to buy.” Quirin replied, dodging Hector’s arms as he threw them up in the air. “YES!” He cheered, making Adira and Quirin exchange a look before jokingly rolling their eyes.

“Anyways, I also did some reading earlier and found that each chakra comes with a small power of its own! It says The Root chakra gives the power of ‘undying fire,’ where it doesn’t die out unless you use water!” She shared, eyes lighting up.

“Ooo! Do that magic, Hailei!” Hector said, pointing at the fireplace. Hailei looked nervous and unsure. “Uh... I’m not sure I know _how_ just yet.” She shrugged, and Hector dropped his arm in disappointment. “It’ll come for the right time, I’m sure.” Adira told both of them, but Hailei still seemed ashamed in her lack of abilities.

We all finished our soup, and started to get ready for bed. While Hector fed Archie, Hailei and Adira settled down in the bed furthest from the window. Adira turned to her side to put an arm over the smaller girl, falling asleep in what seemed like seconds.

I laid down next to Quirin as we both faced each other in the middle.

“Hey.” I say, giving a soft smile. “Hey.” He replied back, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “This inn reminds me of a nice warm cabin... romantic, isn’t it?” I hum, batting my eyes at him. “Yeah... and I’m glad I get to have you here with me. You’re all the warmth I need.” He says, leaning in closer. _”Oh my love~”_ I purr, leaning in as well for a kiss.

“CANON BALL!!!” We hear Hector scream as he jumps right in between us. Both Quirin and I scream out of shock, sitting up as Hector got cozy. “Hector! What was that for!?” Quirin exclaimed, but Hector just shrugged and closed his eyes as his head sunk into the pillow. “I’m goin’ to bed.” He stated as if it were obvious. Come to think of it, Hector _did_ need a bed to sleep in, and from what Hailei has told me, Adira is a bed-hogger so that left ours as his only option. Quirin groaned, turning to his other side while turning off the gas lamp. “Goodnight.” He grumbled, and I just giggled and reached over to ruffle his hair. “Night baby.” 

_______________________

Hailei’s POV:

“Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.”

That’s what I tend to taunt myself with, even when Adira playfully hits me back with something like “No amount of guilt can solve the past, and no amount of anxiety can solve the future.” I was the first to wake up, turning to see my girlfriend on her stomach, sprawled out like a starfish. I laugh to myself, kissing the side of her face that was turned to me. As I got up to stretch I notice Laurie cuddling with Hector in her sleep while Quirin had an arm over the two. It was a sweet sight for sure, looking as they might in the future if they were ever to become parents. 

I started re-doing my hair and cleaning up the cups from last night, as well as folding Hector’s clothes that he left out on the floor. When I lifted the clothes, Archie came out from beneath them and scurried across the floor to climb up the bed, pawing at Hector’s face.

He soon woke up, shaking his brother awake to beg him to get a move on just incase the talking monkeys sell out quickly. Hector jumped on top of Adira’s back to make her his next victim, bouncing on her and shaking her until she threw him off the side, grouchily getting up and stretching. Archie helped his owner by pawing at Laurie’s face, making her wake up and scream at the little beast in front of her. 

“Already up I see.” Adira told me, tickling my side and pulling me in to kiss my forehead. I squirm at her playful tickles, but accepted my ‘good morning’ that followed. 

We returned the key at the desk, and stopped by the shop next door to buy coats. They were a little big on Laurie and I, and _very_ big on Hector, but they were limited on options so we had to make do. We departed rather quickly, ready for whatever my next challenge may be.

________________

I flew towards the city, seeing all the weird block-shaped buildings crammed together. I’ve only seen the Huo empire and Dark kingdom with the exception of small towns and market areas, so this type of civilization was very peculiar to me. I flew down to land behind a wall where the entrance started, and transformed back into my human form once everyone got off.

Hector skipped ahead of us, causing Quirin to nag at him. However, once he turned to see the city through the entryway, his excited face dropped. “Huh?” He said, looking both disappointed and confused. We all stopped behind him to see his concerns, and understood.

The city was far from magnificent, and to be honest it was quite depressing. Everything was grey and dirty, and the people looked hungry and miserable. 

“What? This doesn’t make sense... this can’t be the right city, can it?” Adira questioned, but as we stepped back we saw “Schastlivy City” in worn letters.

We all made our way further into the city’s square, looking for someone to talk to in order to get some answers. Quirin spotted a man stacking large crates, approaching him in a friendly manner. “Hello sir! Might I ask you some questions?” He said, making the man turn and look at us with surprise and curiosity. “You kids don’t look like you’re from around here, huh?” He asked, voice rusty with exhaust and age. We shook our heads. “No sir, but might I ask if there are any, uh, current issues taking place in this city?” Quirin asked in translation of ‘Why does your city look terrible?’ The man coughed out a laugh, resting his arm on a stacked crate. “Well kid, quite a few, yes. Ever since the Qiandga Warriors took over our trading cities and empires, food and supplies have been a real struggle; since the lakes are all frozen we also can’t get fish... the ice is too thick to even drill through. We’re running out of wood, so things are getting quite chilly over here.” We all blinked at him, unsure on how to handle the news. If I hadn’t of hid for all these years... maybe this would have never happened. I looked around anxiously, watching the starving people roam the streets. “Thank you sir, have a nice day.” Quirin said his farewells, but Hector wasn’t finished. “Wait! Mister do you know if they still have the little talking monkeys toys!?” The small boy begged the question, making Quirin and Adira drag him away by both arms. “Sorry kid, haven’t seen one of those in years.” The man said before going back to his work.  
“NOOOOOOO!!!” Hector cried out to the heavens.

“Well this is new news.” Adira said calmly, then noticed my distress as a tear rolled down my cheek. “Hey-hey! It’s okay little bird! It’s okay!” She knelt down to me, wiping the tear away. I shook my head, covering my face in embarrassment. “Ugh! This is my fault!” I exclaim, but soon everyone else surrounded me, giving me reassurances. “Not at all, Hailei! Why would any of this be your fault?” Quirin said as he put a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah Hailei, you’re here to help, remember?” Laurie added. 

I would have said that I wanted to get out of here to have a second to myself, if it weren’t for the small child who tugged on my sleeve.

“Excuse me miss, do you have any spare change?” He asked, holding up a little cup. I wipe my tears quickly and reach for the money in my bag. “Sure little guy.” I say, giving him 5 coins. His face lit up, “Thank you so much miss!” he hollered as he scurried off to his parents.

“Momma! Papa! Look! That nice lady gave me _five_ whole coins!” He exclaimed, and his parents looked up in shock. I blush and smile, giving a small wave. They make their way over to me to show their thanks, “Where might you children come from where five coins is spare change?” The mother asks, holding her son’s hand. “We come from the Dark Kingdom, ma’am.” Laurie said, and the woman looks at us in awe. “The _Dark Kingdom?_ There’s no way! That would take years to travel to... and you all look too young to have traveled that long. Where are your parents?” The father asked. I noticed Laurie look to the side, obviously upset over something. 

“Well, we’re actually on a mission right now. I’m uh, I’m The Dragon -Like the in legend.” I gave an awkward laugh as I scratch the back of my head.

However once I said that, their faces dropped.

“Leonid get back inside with your mother.” The father spat, and they both rushed back to one of the buildings. “Is there something wrong?” I ask, and the man scoffs. “Yes, there _is_ something wrong. EVERYONE, THE DRAGON IS HERE! THE DRAGON WHO HAS FAILED US AND LED TO OUR STARVATION AND COLD.” The man drew attention to the people around us, who all started getting both shocked and angry like him. I heard Quirin and Adira draw out their swords, and Laurie hid Hector behind her. “Excuse me!? She’s here to help you, you fool!” Adira shouted back, but I remained frozen in fear and guilt.

The people surrounded us, shouting terrible things like “Monster!” and “You’ve failed us!” The father knelt down to me, saying “You better get out of here and never come back.” over the all shouting. I snapped out of my frozen stance, and dragged everyone out of the city.

“Hailei we can fix this! This could be a part of the test!” Adira promised, but I just threw my bag across the ground and slumped against the wall. “I knew it! I was right! This is my fault and the people all blame me!” I wailed as I started to hyperventilate. “Hailei, let’s take a break. We need you to calm down before we can move on.” Quirin spoke softly as he knelt down alongside his sister, both keeping their distance incase my fire got out of control.

And in fact it did, but just for a second.  
“ARRGHH!” I holler and groan as my fire immediately was burnt out by the snow beneath me. It always stung my chest when my fire was put out without my biding, leaving me with invisible scars.

“Hailei, I beg of you, please calm down. I can’t bare to see you hurt yourself like this. Please... take a deep breath. For me?” Adira whispered, pulling my chin up to look at her. The second our eyes met, I felt a calmer presence come over me. I complied and breathed deeply, taking her hand as she helped me up. “I’m... I’m sorry.” I said to everyone, ashamed of my behaviors. They all shook their heads and assured me everything was fine, and I felt a small hand touch my arm. I turn around to see Hector hold my bag up for me. “You dropped this.” He said, and I laughed. “Thanks buddy.” I take the bag, putting it back on.

“Let’s spend one more night at that inn so we can figure everything out.” Quirin offered, and we all agreed on that idea, soon taking off once more.

________________________

Laurie’s POV:

When we got back to the inn, Hector decided to take a nap while Adira took Hailei somewhere not too far from town. Quirin sat next to the fire to warm up, so I sat down to join him.

“Hey.” He smiled.

“Hey.” I say back, putting a hand on his knee.

“What’s been on your mind?” He asked me, and I look up with surprise. “Huh? Nothing! Why you ask?” I claim, but he just gives me a look. “Laurie, I know when there’s something up. Tell me.” I nervously looked away, then sighed. “I’ve tried so hard my whole life to be a successful daughter... someone they could see as a great leader! And... now that I ran away when they didn’t want me to... I wonder if I’ll ever get back their respect, or if it’s too late and all that I’ve worked for is lost.”

He scooted closer to me, letting me rest my head on his shoulder. “I know everything is all scary and confusing right now... but in the end we could really help a lot of people... and if your parents don’t see how good and leaderly that is, then that’s on them.” He said, gently turning my head to face his. We both tilt our heads, making up for that kiss that we were aiming for last night. I lean back, giving him a flirtatious look. “Hmm... I miss our alone time.” I hum, dragging a finger down his chest. His face flushes as he chuckles, “You know, we _do_ have enough coins for a separate roo-“

“I’m hungry! Quirin can you help me get this can of beans open?” We hear Hector whine across the room. “AHH! Oh! Hector! You’re awake! Ahahaha... yes! I’ll help you, Just one moment.” Quirin sprung to his feet, rushing to scavenge through his bag for a dagger to open the can with.

______________________

Hailei’s POV:

Adira flew me over to a nearby river that she spotted earlier, saying that she had something in mind that would help me find a way to obtain the next chakra.

“Hailei, have you ever meditated before?” She asked, stopping to look at the frozen stream. I shook my head, “I mean I’ve attempted to a few times before, but I don’t think I was doing it right.” I shrug, and she nods. “Would you mind if I taught you?” She asks as she takes my hand, and I blush and nod my head, “Sure, I don’t mind.” 

“Alright... sit over here where there’s so snow.” She pointed, and I walked over to sit next to her, crossing my legs in a mirroring fashion.

“The main idea of meditation is to let all thoughts pass, instead of beating yourself up for having thoughts in the first place. The key is to accept the now, and forgive the past.” She said, dragging her fingers up my spine to straighten my posture. My face flushes at both the contact and the cold air. “I want you to pay attention to the tensions in your face, then let them go.” She whispered, and I relaxed the firm muscles my face held. “Good, now take a deep breath and focus on what you feel right now. What do you feel?” She asks, voice moving around me. “I feel cold... I feel relaxed... I feel... I feel guilty.” I admit, thinking about all three feelings at once. “Mhmm. Now accept that you feel those feelings, and let them go, as if they’re passing you by in a stream of thoughts.” Adira said, voice light as air. “Accept, and let go.” She added, and I repeated after her. “Accept and let go... accept and let go... accept and let go.” I breathed deeply once more, trying to obey her words. The cold no longer bothered me, and the pleasures of being relaxed settled down in my mind as well. The guilt however crept up my spine in a much harsher way than Adira’s gentle fingers did, and somehow she knew that.

“Hailei, grab that guilt then let it go. Forgive yourself. Accept its existence then let it go.” She said, voice now in front of me.

Let it go. Forgive yourself. Let it go...

I see fire, but not mine. I hear people screaming and crying. Children calling out for their parents. Buildings being destroyed.

“This is not by you, Hailei. Let it go.” Adira says, standing in front of me in the fires.

I try to blink it off, but I was stuck in this hell of a universe. 

“If you want the guilt to stop, accept it and let it go.” She softly repeated herself, letting me save my own self.

I understand this is happening to the world, and I understand that I am making a difference at my own pace. This is not my fault... I am helping. This is not my fault... I forgive myself...

The people get quieter, and the flames get shorter. Adira still stood in front of me, waiting patiently. 

This isn’t my fault. 

The people go silent, and the flames disappear.

...

I open my eyes, seeing Adira in front of my in the exact same meditation box, eyes closed. 

“Love?” I ask, and she peers one eye open.

“Mhm?” She hums.

“Thank you.” I say, and she smiles as she gets up.

“Of course my little bird. Let’s head back, it’s getting dark.” She said, helping me stand. Dark? I look up and see the sun start to go down. “Wait a minute, how long were we here?” I ask, and she shrugs. “Maybe three hours.” 

_Three hours!?_

“I wish the river wasn’t frozen. It would have made a good example for letting things flow by. She added, squatting down to look at the ice.

“I’m sure I could melt it.” I said, avoiding hitting Adira as I use my fire to melt the ice.

In a matter of seconds, the river started to flow again. Adira hopped back up from squatting, and gave me a look. “What?” I ask, and she taps her chin. “Hmm... maybe we can help the people back at the city without upsetting them again after all.” She said, and I raised a brow at her.

___________________

Adira passed out the torch sticks to everyone as we stood out by the city entrance. “Okay Hailei, to use your first chakra’s power, you have to focus on stability. Think back to giving up that fear in trade for security, and use it on this torch.” Adira motivated as she held the stick out. I closed my eyes to focus, holding the torches end in my hand.

I think back to being alone, monsters coming at me in the air, giving up all my anxieties to fight back...

“Look! It worked!” Adira cheered, and I open my eyes to see a red flame in front of me.

“Good job little bird! Now everyone put their torch to mine... this is the ‘undying fire’ I was talking about. If we put this in all the torch lights around town, they can use it for as long as they’d like, moving it inside their homes too! While we do that, Hailei’s going to thaw the lakes around the city so they can fish again. Everyone got it?” She said, and we cheer in agreement.

While they run around filing the torch lights, I move to the lakes and get started on thawing the ice. Once I had finished the work that took nearly an hour, we met back up at the town center.

“Welp... at least we helped them them in a way.” I shrug, and I feel Adira throw an arm over my shoulder. “You helped them a lot, Hailei. Now they won’t starve and will be warm without needing all that lumber!” She said proudly. I force a laugh, “Heh, yeah. Anyways... I’d rather not stay here to too long, bad memories. We should head back and think of more ways to get that chakra.” They all start walking toward the exit, shivering from the cold air.

“Hey! Wait up!” A little boy says, running toward us.

It was the little boy from earlier!

“Miss! I believe this is for you!” He said, panting from running so hard.

“Huh? Oh honey you don’t have to pay me back-“ I start to say, but the boy pulls a orange stone out from his pocket.

The Sacral chakra!

“Oh! Thank you!” I exclaimed, unsure of what to say next.

“No, thank _you_ miss. You’ve given us the pleasure of food and warmth, without you we would have all died in the next few months. You’re a hero!” He cheers, hugging me and skipping away.

We all celebrate at getting the next chakra, and hurry back to the inn to get ready for tomorrow. I can’t believe it was that easy! Maybe these missions will be a breeze after all! Right?

“We’ve already got the second one! That’s great! Our next stop should be at the Sahara Desert, so let’s store as much snow in our canisters as possible so we don’t go thirsty.”

____________________

As we all settled down back at the in, Hector played with his stuffed rhino in front of the fire while Quirin read on bed with Laurie fast asleep beside him. Adira laid next to me, turning to get close to my face. 

“I’m proud of you baby.” She whispered, kissing my temple. I sheepishly smile, turning to dig my head into her chest. “Couldn’t have done it without you.” I say, letting sleep take over me.


	20. The Dragon (The Solar Plexus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira, Quirin, Hector, and Princess Lauralie join Hailei on her mission to defeat the Qiandga Warriors, pursuing her destiny as The Dragon. To gain all the powers needed to defeat them, however, she will need to collect all the chakra stones that are scattered all around the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all! I made another brotherhood fic that’s an H2O: Just Add Water! AU. It sounds silly, but I woke up from a fever dream to make some art about it as joke and some people told me to actually make the fic sooooo I did😳 Aaanyways, I might also make like a modern! AU where they are adopted siblings like, middle school/elementary age? Idk yet. Lemme know if you’d be interested in that!  
> Next chapter will be on Tuesday around 8-10!
> 
> Edmund: 35  
> Ophelia: 34  
> Quirin: 17  
> Adira: 16  
> Laurie and Hailei: 15  
> Hector: 11

-flashback-

Edmund’s POV:

“Your majesty, the princess is nowhere to be found. However, some citizens have alerted us with news that a dragon had flown off not too far from here earlier today. Princess Hailei is also nowhere to be found, so I suspect they had flown off together.”

My chest burns with rage and disappointment. How on earth could my daughter do something so stupid and rebellious?! Have I failed her as a father? What might have caused this?

“Where are the three children I’m housing here?” I ask with a sharp growl.

Daniel, one of the current members of the brotherhood, shook his head, “Nowhere to be seen either, your highness. We haven’t seen a trace of them while looking around for the two princesses.”

“Those meddling kids took my daughter and royal refugee! I knew I shouldn’t have let them speak to Hailei! None of this would have happened if they didn’t ever speak to one another!” I turn to shout at Ophelia, who laid comfortably on her thrown.

“Our daughter; and the ‘royal refugee’s’ name is Hailei. There’s nothing we can do at the moment, and they’ve made their own decision and will face whatever consequences it brings.” She shrugged, making me scowl at her.

“Do you have any idea what could happen to them!? Our child could die!” I spat, and she squinted at me with a look of offense. 

“I know that Edmund! What are you gonna do!? Send some crazy hunter guy over across the globe!? There isn’t a person for that!” She spat back at me, face turning red with rage. “It sounds like you don’t think I care for my own daughter! God, you can just be so-...” she stopped, holding the bridge of her nose. “What!? So _What!?_ ” I hissed, but soon my face softened as she started to weep, getting up and leaving for the bedroom.

“Ophelia, wait-“ “I need to be alone!” She interrupted, leaving too soon for me to say anything else.

I sigh and look down, Daniel and Heidi still waiting at the entrance, this time with an awkward feeling in the air.

“Get the Grimetaur.” I ordered, and they rushed out of the room to get away from the awkward situation that had just happened.

____________________

“The Grimetaur, your majesty.” Heidi placed in my hands, stepped away respectfully. “Thank you, dear. You both are excused.” As I release the last of the current brotherhood, they follow my orders and exit after bowing.

I look at the small, metal, egg-shaped trinket, twisting the top and bottom pieces to release the Grimetaur. The egg shakes and rumbles as I place it on the floor, smoke appearing before the large man-of-metal appears in front of me. 

“Grimetaur, my daughter and The Dragon must be sent back as soon as possible. Find them and bring them back to me.” I command, and the giant metallic man gives a curt nod, then leaves the castle to start his mission.

I watch the powerful creature depart the Dark Kingdom from the window. I have to admit, I was very impressed with both his speed and ability to turn into other metal objects, like his own gondola that moved much faster than the other ones on the line did.

“I hope you’re happy.” I hear Ophelia’s voice behind me.

“Dear, let’s not fight over this.” I say with a sigh, but she kept the scowl on her face and her crossed arms didn’t budge.

“That’s what you always say. ‘Oh if you don’t want someone else to disagree with you, just tell them to not say their opinions at all!’” She said in a fake-happy voice, waving her hands in the air. “And I thought you said women should speak out for themselves. What ever happened to that man, huh Edmund?” She added, but I didn’t know what to say, because she was right; I did say that before.

“You know I love you very much, dear.” I say, and she rolls her eyes in disgust. “Saying that you love me in order to change the topic isn’t okay, Edmund! I love you too, but I am still angry with you! God for once could you just listen to people other than yourself? I swear every single king gets such a big head from all this power! Remember when we were younger? When you said ‘a king and queen should be equal, like a partnership.’ where is that opinion now?” Ophelia pointed out, and my anger began to rise again.

“Well I have many duties to tend to and lead, I don’t see _you_ protecting the moonstone and training current and future warriors to do that deed as well!” I hissed, and that’s when I knew I made a mistake.

Her face of anger dropped, and she looked completely neutral. She silently turned around, leaving for the bedroom again.

“Ophelia! Wait! I didn’t mean it like that!” I begged her to talk to me, but once I made it to the bedroom to try to open the door, it was locked.

I groan and look over to one of the maids in the hall. “Mrs. Partridge, please prepare a guest room for me tonight.” I grumble.

______________________

Quirin’s POV:

On our way to the Sahara Dessert, we stopped at various inns. The past two nights were in Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan, but tonight we were staying at an inn in the Ottoman Empire.

When we paid the innkeeper at the front of the building, he guided us to the biggest room he could find. Even then, there was only one bed.

“Well at least the room looks super nice, and the bed has plenty of room!” Laurie said, admiring all the details in design that the furniture and walls held. 

“Yeah, I mean any room should be a good room! Beats sleeping outside.” I say, displeased to remind myself about sleeping on the hard ground a few days ago, worried about bugs or animals crawling onto me at night.

“We should get dinner going. Adira, do you still have the canned food from earlier?” I ask, but Adira didn’t respond as she looked rather intrigued by something in the book. “Adira?” I ask again, and her head shoots back up to meet my eyes. “Huh? Oh sorry, yeah.” She responded, digging through her bag for the cans to toss over to me.

“According to the book, Hailei can form obsidian out of the ground with The Sacral chakra’s powers!” Adira explained her interest in the book, making Hailei look over once her name was said. “Really? Oh gosh what would I need that for?” She said, uneasy about such dangerous magic. Adira shrugged, “I dunno, it says it can break any weaker elements, build any object or figure you’d like, block pathways to enemies... stuff like that! I’m sure it’s not just for harmful purposes.” 

Hailei seemed to get lost in thought about it, so Adira moved over to where she sat, and draped a blanket over her. “I hope you’re hungry, looks like Quirin is stirring up the beef stew.” She said quietly, making Hailei smile and drag her attention away from whatever was on her mind before. “Yeah, all that flying has made me starving.” She said, patting her stomach lightly.

As the stew was ready to serve, I divided it into five cups and passed them out. 

“What is the next chakra about, sister?” I had asked Adira, trying to mentally prepare for the next journey. “Ah, yes. The Solar Plexus. The energy of will-power and the enemy of shame. The chakra is said to be achieved by letting go of denial and believing in yourself.” She stated, turning to give Hailei a heartfelt smile. Hailei smiles back, although it wasn’t hard to tell that something was still going on inside her head.

“What do you think we’ll run into at the desert?” I say, digging in to my dinner. “I hope something crazy, we haven’t had action in so long! How am I supposed to kick butt if there are no butts to kick?” Hector said, making everyone laugh. “Oh we’ll find something to slap around soon enough I’m sure.” Adira said, patting the boy’s knee.

We all stacked the cups for us to clean in the morning, and all got dressed one-by-one behind the provided folding screen. Once we all were ready for bed, Hector jumped into the center, getting comfortable under the blankets. Hailei and Laurie took both sides next to him, soon followed by Adira and I. Archie curled up into a ball at the foot of the large bed, being the first to fall asleep.

“Goodnight everyone.” I say as I blow out the candles beside us.

“G’night.” They all say back, drifting off to sleep.

___________________

Hailei’s POV:

When we woke up, we took many canisters of water and food in case the journey across the desert ends up being longer than we expect. We flew out of the Ottoman Empire, taking nearly three hours to get to Egypt. Adira said that we needed to find a hidden temple, but it couldn’t be seen while flying, as it bends too well with the sand. She suggested we started at a spot not too far from a small town, then walk southeast until nighttime, where we could see the stars. The book said to follow the Scorpius, but it wasn’t visible during the day so our compass was the next best thing.

Knowing that we wouldn’t need our coats anymore, we sold them back at Kazakhstan before we left in trade for more food and water. Even then, the heat was overbearing and the others felt as if they were melting, dropping a few layers of clothes back into their bags.

“How are you two not sweating right now!?” Laurie gasped at Adira and I, who appeared completely unaffected by the sun’s powerful rays. 

I shrug, “I mean, heat doesn’t bother me for obvious reasons. I don’t know about Adira though.” “I was taught ‘chandali yoga’ as a child, it helps gain more body control over things like temperature.” Adira explained. I seemed intrigued at that technique, but Laurie just groaned. “Why on earth can’t _I_ have an inner fan!” “Not really the same thing.” Adira responded, yet Laurie didn’t react as she continued to dramatically fan herself.

“How far do you think the temple is? I mean, I know we just started walking like an hour ago, but... just to have an idea?” Quirin asked Adira, but she didn’t seem too sure as she took another swig at her canister. “No idea, could be hours, days, weeks-“ “-Years!?” Hector interrupted as he turned around from running a few yards ahead of us. “No, by then we’d find something else to do or something. And I thought you liked the desert? You’ve been running around chasing desert beetles this whole time.” Adira pointed out, making Hector hide all the beetles he caught behind his back. Archie hopped down from his shoulder, finding one of the beetles on the ground and eating the whole thing in one bite. “ARCHIE NOOO! THAT WAS ESTEVAN!” He hollered, but Archie only chittered and continued to prance across the sand.

We walked for three more hours, finally all too tired to keep moving across the sea of sand. Laurie got tired an hour earlier, now riding on Quirin’s back. This also gave Hector the idea to make Adira do the same. Although the two didn’t mind, all three of us couldn’t bare any further traveling and plopped down beside the only thing standing out in the empty desert field: a single bush of cacti.

Quirin pulled out all the blankets as we made little indents into the sand for a comfier place to sleep. Thankfully the sun was starting to go down a little, so we didn’t worry about burning as much anymore, cuz boy oh boy do people from the Dark Kingdom burn easy. Hector, Laurie, and Quirin had red tints on their faces and forearms, so Adira pulled out the aloe vera she purchased earlier at the desert’s small town. “Put some aloe vera on, you three.” She said, cutting some of it open and passing it around. They all hummed as the cool substance hit their skin, then passed the left over aloe vera back to the white-haired teen. “Thank you- now hopefully we can wake up while it’s still kinda dark to get a better idea of where the temple is from the stars.” She said, looking up at the sky. “Yeah, let’s sleep now so we don’t waste any time.” Quirin suggested, laying down on his blanket.

This time we kept a fair distance from each other as we slept, not wanting any body heat in addition to the harsh temperatures that were already present. 

I have to admit, the heat was very soothing to me. I felt stronger and more in my element, so it was easy for me to relax. I give a sigh of relief, closing my eyes.

___________________

I open my eyes, seeing a sky full of stars. It was very beautiful, and quite frankly reminded me of the Dark Kingdom. Now of course the Dark Kingdom had the perfect view of everything and sat right under the moon, but even then the desert seemed to present the sky very well at night.

I sit up, seeing everyone fast asleep- except for Archie, who was clawing at my clothes in a panic. “What’s the matter baby? Are you hungry?” I say, pulling out some raisins from my bag. However, the weasel didn’t take any. I stared in confusion, then watched him repeatedly turn toward something in the distance. I squint my eyes, seeing something dark rolling toward us from about half-a-mile away. “What?” I whisper to myself, tugging at Adira to wake her up. “Mmm? I’m up Quirin I’m up... no more practice!” She grumbled, so I shook her even more. “Adi! It’s Hailei! Somethings coming!” I said louder, trying to wake everyone else up too. “Hmm?” She groaned, sitting up. “Look!” I shout as I point to the boulder-like object heading toward us in a fast manner. “What the... EVERYONE GET UP! GET UP!” Adira shouts, fully awake. The others toss around and try to wake from their deep sleep too, while Adira draws out her sword. I try a stance as well, holding two flames in my hands. The others notice what’s going on and jump to their feet, drawing out whatever weapons they had near them. 

“What _is_ that thing!?” Quirin question with panic in his voice. “I have no idea!” Adira called back, ready to fight.

As it made its way closer, it transformed into a large, metallic man. He held a frown on his face, stomping his way toward us. “Who are you!? _What_ are you!?” Adira hollered in the man’s direction, who gave no reply. He only made his way toward Laurie, trying to grab her. “UH, GUYS!?” She screeches, impressively dodging from his grasps. “Look at the symbol on his chest, it’s the same symbol my dad wears on his hand!” She yelled while running. Adira, Hector, and Quirin attempted to pull back and hit the metal being, but it had no effect. “He’s indestructible! We have to fly away! Hailei!” Adira cries out, and I wake up from my frozen panic to transform. 

“I’ll try and block him while you all get on!” Quirin yelled, trying to get in the man’s way. It worked for enough time to get the three on top of my back, but the man eventually got tired of trying to get past the teen and threw Quirin across the sand, making him partially land on the cacti.

“ARGGH!” He yelled, and Laurie almost toppled over the edge to reach out for him. “QUIRIN!” She screamed, tears in her voice. “BROTHER! NO!!!” Hector also wept, scared for his life. Adira quickly jumped off, “HE WANTS YOU AND LAURIE, FLY FAR ENOUGH TO LEAD HIM TO THE OTHER DIRECTION THEN COME BACK.” She ordered, and I obeyed. 

As I flew in the other direction, I looked over to see Adira helping Quirin off of the cacti, and the man turning back into a giant boulder, following where I flew.

I flew for about ten minutes, trying to make sure I’d lost him. I took a sharp turn to find my way back to my girlfriend and her brother, praying to all my ancestors that they were okay.

“Look! There they are!” Laurie yelled, probably pointed to the specs of color in the orange sand. I headed downward, landing next to the two teens and cacti bush. Laurie immediately slid of of me, running up to Quirin as he held a slightly bloody left sleeve. “My love! You’re hurt!” She cried, inspecting his arm. “I’ll be okay, sweetheart. Just a few scratches and pricks to the arm. But we can discuss it after we get on Hailei, Adira says we should just fly low enough to see the temples _and_ be able to escape the man if we ever see him again.” He said as he got back on with Adira’s help. He winced a few times, but relaxed once Laurie supported his body as he settled onto my back. I started to drift a few yards off the ground, following the faint scorpius in the sky. 

“So... you think that thing is from your dad?” Quirin gulped. “Yeah, it’s the same symbol. He has all kinds of secret stuff up his sleeve... I can’t believe he sent that _monster_ after us. How did it even know where we were? Ugh, dads.” She griped, probably rolling her eyes.

As they continued to discuss what just happened, my mind blocked them out as I was overwhelmed with shame. How could I have just stood there!? What kind of ‘hero’ am I if I just stood there while Laurie, my best friend of like ten years, was being chased by some crazy metal-monster-guy!?!? 

Even on my _third_ mission, I am still weak, untrained, and stand on the side as others try to do my job for me.

After another full day of flying, I found a high mountain that was hopefully too steep for the man to get up on without flying. I landed softly, letting them all get off before I transformed back to my human self.

“Thanks for flying us, little bird.” Adira whispered as she petted the back of my head. “No problem... hey, Adi?” I say as she turned to set up camp with the others. “Yes, love?” She replied, stopping in her tracks. “How good are you at teaching people how to uh, fight?” I say, and she looks at me with a dumbfounded expression. “Uh... in general? Or for you?” She asked, walking closer toward me to continue the conversation.

“For me, I guess.” I blush and rub the back of my neck. “Well uh, I’ve never taught anyone the uses of fire magic really, but I could teach you some taekwondo basics?” She offered, and my face lit up. “Yes! Perfect!” 

______________________

While the others made dinner a little lower on the mountain, Adira and I stood at the top. “Alright, show me your defensive stance.” She ordered, and I awkwardly shifted my weight and held a blocking manner. She shook her head, “No no no, you have the idea, but you’re not confident at all. You hold uncertainty in yourself, I want you to _believe_ you can stop me from hitting you at all costs.” I blushed at the critique, then deepened my stance with a bit more belief in myself. Adira pulled back, and lunges forward with her leg. I close my eyes tight and curl myself in, only to open them back up and see Adira frozen in her attack, an inch away from where I once was. She gave a sad smile, and stood back on her two feet again. “I’d never actually hurt you, little bird.” My eyes widened, and I dropped my curled stance as well, clearing my throat. “I uh, I know.” I said, ashamed at my failed attempt of properly guarding myself.

“Self-confidence is the first requisite to great understandings.” Adira broke the silence, walking toward me. 

“Stand of defense.” She commanded, and I quickly went back to my stance. “Your weight isn’t balanced, I could knock you down with those unsure legs.” She said, softly grasping my thighs and shins one by one, adjusting them. “Now go from this position, back to regular stance, and back to this position over and over until I say to stop.” Adira said with a firm voice, and I immediately complied, as if she was the captain and I was the ship.

“Stop.” She said, my legs slowly burning from the constant movement and holding. “Use your ab muscles and imagine your spine is made of steel.” The taller girl spoke as she placed her hands on my stomach, then moved her fingertips over to my back, moving them from the highest to lowest vertebrae.

“Good, now do the same exercise you just did, but now with the back and abs too.” I nodded at her objective, proceeding to hold and release my stance.

“Stop, but hold your stance.” She said again, moving closer and closer to me. “Who are you?” She asked, and I felt the blood rush down my neck. “I’m... Hailei Huo.” I say, unsure if that was the right answer.

“And?”

“And I’m the princess of the Huo Empire, now a refugee.”

“ _And_?”

“And I’m The Dragon?”

“It doesn’t seem like you’re too sure.” She said, almost in a taunting manner. My cheeks flushed as I held back tears from such an odd behavior from her.

“Are you Hailei Huo?”

“Yes.”

“Are you the princess?”

“Yes.”

“Are you The Dragon?”

“...Yes.”

“No you’re not.” She said, the teasing and taunting back in her voice.

“But... I am?” I say, but she just shakes her head. “No, you’re not. You can’t prove it to me.” 

“But... yes I am!” I say, feeling the flame within me light.

“What are you?” Adira asked with a mischievous smirk on her face.

“I’M THE DRAGON!” I yell as if introducing myself to the world. “SAY IT AGAIN!” She shouts back, and I say it even louder. “I AM HAILEI HUO AND I AM THE DRAGON!” She smiled, getting closer and closer. “KEEP SAYING IT!” She screamed while only a few inches away from my face. 

“I AM THE DRAGON! ...I AM THE DRAGON! ...I AM THE-“

I was cut off as Adira grabbed my face, bringing me in for a deep kiss. The kiss was the most powerful one I think we’ve ever had, making the world feel like it was revolving around us. I went limp, melting into the pleasure of her lips touching mine. Soon enough, the ground started rumbling. I look down to see us be shot up from the ground on a dark rock, many feet above where we once were.

Adira first looked surprised, then overly content. “Ah, the obsidian.” She said quietly as she still held onto me from our kiss. “The power of pleasure.” She added on, eyes twinkling at the sight of my new capabilities. I huffed a laugh, still flustered from both the kiss and the screaming.

“Welp, I should uh, teach you some fighting skills I guess. I feel as if you’re confident enough in that defense stance of yours.” She chuckled, giving my back a friendly pat. “Y-yeah... I guess so. How do I...” I thought of a way to get down, and the staircase I envisioned as an option suddenly appeared in front of me. “Oh! Well uh... okay let’s get started on the next skill!” 

_____________________

Both completely worn out, Adira and I crash as soon as we finished eating while Hector showed Quirin and Laurie the new tricks he taught Archie.

“Psst.” Adira said as she turned to her side. I turn to look at her as well. “Hmm?” I hum, and she smiles as she thumbs my cheek. “Great work today, little bird. I’m happy to see you more confident.” I blush at the contact and compliment, putting my hand over hers. “Thanks for helping me.” I say, and she kisses me goodnight. “Always.” She said.

________________________

“Hailei! Hailei wake up!! He’s back! The man’s back!” I hear both Quirin and Adira yell a they shake me awake. I shoot up from my blanket, looking around. “What!? Where is he!?” I exclaim, standing up.

“He’s climbing up the mountain! He’s super fast! Hurry we have to fly away!” Hector says as he points down the ledge in fear. I get up, but don’t move to transform. “Hailei c’mon! We have to go!” Quirin shouts, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“ _No, you all stay here while I handle it. He won’t stop until we destroy him._ ” I say, leaving my stuff behind to move down the mountain. They all look at me in complete shock -except for Adira, who looked quite amused and proud- while I marched away with confidence.

I spot the man climbing up the rocky walls. “HEY! OVER HERE!” I shout, and he turns his head over to me at light speed. I go into my defensive stance. _Balance the legs, strengthen the abs and spine, confidence..._  
“I am The Dragon...” I spat under my breath. It wasn’t said as a question or an ashamed answer, but a very proud fact.

The man moved his way across the wall and shook the earth as he jumped onto the ledge I stood on.

However, the second he got in front of me to grab me, I stomped the earth to make obsidian hit the man at full force, making him flip over me and land on his back. I noticed a new giant dent in the man, and gave him a taunting smile, “Do you know who you’re messing with?” I say, and he growls while getting up with full force.

“No? Okay then.” I say, hitting him with another rock, this time knocking him off the ledge and onto the one below me.

“AW YEAH, HAILEI!” I hear Hector cheer in the distance above me. I smile with a laugh before jumping down to the ledge the man fell back on.

I noticed the symbol on his chest flicker, as if the power making him run was cutting short.

_Bingo._

I ran as fast as I could toward the man, who came at me with a similar speed.

Suddenly, with all my energy I had, I formed obsidian beneath him, knocking him up into the air. It hit him right in the center of his chest, completely disabling him. The rocks seemed to make the mountain as a whole shake, forming some sort of sand-avalanche. I ignore the metal-enemy who laid lifeless in the sand, and quickly transformed to fly up and gather my friends before they also were consumed by the sandy debris.

They all got the idea pretty quick, all jumping on to my back. I flew up above the mountain, unsure of how far the debris would land. Eventually, you could make out some sort of structure being revealed.

It was the temple!

As soon as the sand settled, I flew down to the top of the formerly hidden structure. Once they all got off, I went back to my usual self. “Look! There’s a staircase!” Laurie pointed out at the center’s opening. We all followed her down to the center, but alas nothing and no one was there.

We all were at a loss for what to do, sitting around the temples main floor. “Hey look, the scorpius.” Quirin pointed out as he looked at the opening above us we entered from. We all gathered to take a look, but soon turned to Archie as we heard him hiss. 

“Archie? What is it?” Hector said, moving over to look at what his pet found. 

“Hey look! It’s a scorpion! It’s holding the chakra!” He squeaked, excited about seeing a new animal.

I walked over to the chakra with suspicion. “Really? How odd.” I say, squatting next to it. “I think he wants you to grab it.” Hector said, tilting his head. “I think you’re right about that.” I tell the littlest member, and sigh as I reach forward. 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if it stings you!?” Quirin said, nervous at my confident behavior. I look back at him and smile, “confidence is key, I think it knows that.” He still seems unsure, but nonetheless let’s me proceed. I carefully take the yellow stone, and place it into my pendant. “Thanks little guy.” I say, and it scurries off back to wherever it came from. 

“Third one down, four to go!” Laurie cheered, holding Quirin’s hand while giving him a smile. “That’s right! We should stay in here for the night before heading off to... where is our next stop, sister?” Quirin looks back as Adira pulls out the map. “Let’s see...” suddenly, her face drops.

“The Jingshen Temples.”


	21. The Dragon (The Heart Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira, Quirin, Hector, and Princess Lauralie join Hailei on her mission to defeat the Qiandga Warriors, pursuing her destiny as The Dragon. To gain all the powers needed to defeat them, however, she will need to collect all the chakra stones that are scattered all around the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy! So I’ve come to the realization that the beginning of adulthood is actually kiiinda crazy and stressful so I’ve been super occupied with stuff like visa info and work and yadayadayada. This means that my writing might not be as good and also much shorter, so I think I’m gonna break them up in parts more. This might mean I’ll update daily again sometimes instead of every other day, but it’ll depend on how the day’s stress levels are. Please bear with me! I’m sure my writing will improve soon!
> 
> Once again sorry for the short chapter! :/ <3
> 
> Edmund: 35  
> Ophelia: 34  
> Quirin: 17  
> Adira: 16  
> Laurie and Hailei: 15  
> Hector: 11

Hailei’s POV:

The flight to the inn was completely silent. 

I couldn’t see any of them since they rode on my back, but I guess that the mood was rather anxious and uncomfortable due to the fact that our next mission was located at Adira’s childhood home; which was probably burnt to the ground.

I couldn’t seem to name the country we were in because of the lack of words Adira said, but she eventually shouted “Down there.” towards a town below us.

The walk to the inn was silent as Adira paced a few feet ahead of us, so I looked back at the others to get a better idea of how she was feeling. Quirin met my eyes first, giving me a sad shrug. Laurie looked just as lost, and Hector seemed too tired to care about anything other than sleep.

She hurried to get the key for the room, rushing up the stairs and down the hall. We followed her to the best of our abilities, entering the room while she just sat on one of the beds. She took out a wood project she hadn’t finished yet, and began to anxiously carve it. Everyone else seemed to try and leave her alone while getting ready for bed, but I couldn’t bare to get ready with Adira appearing so distraught.

“...Adi?” I whisper, gently sitting down on the bed next to her. “Yes, love?” She responded back, voice completely calm. My brows furrowed at the odd contrast between her voice and behavior, so I was now even more confused about her state of mind. 

“Are you... okay?” I ask, gently putting a hand on her back.

“Oh course? Why’d you ask?” She questioned, but this time you could hear the joy in her voice being forced. I slowly remove my hand, and take a deep breath. “I just... know the next chakra’s place might give you some mixed feelings is all and I wanted to make sure you’re okay... and that I’m here for you throughout the whole mission.” I whispered carefully, but she only got up from the bed to pick up the wood shavings and threw them in a bin.

She came back with a forced smile, and petted my hair. “Oh little bird, don’t worry about me. _I’m_ the one who protects _you_ , okay?” She said, and I could only think of one response, which was a nervous laugh. “Haha! Of course.” 

I got dressed for bed with her silently, trying to not show the awkwardness I felt. When I laid down I expected her to leave distance between us, but she just protectively rolled over to throw an arm over me. “Goodnight, Hailei.” She whispered as Quirin blew out the candles. This time her voice sounded tired, and almost... sad? Nervous maybe?

“Goodnight, Adi. I love you so much.” I added, and Adira hummed while kissing the side of my face. “I love you too; I won’t let anything happen to you, ever.” She said, tightening her grip around me. I smiled and blushed from the affection at first, but then got a bit nervous as to why she said that last part out of the blue. 

Either way, we had a mission to attend to tomorrow and I needed some good rest.

______________________

Adira’s POV:

“Peace can be made only by those who are peaceful, and love can be shown only by those who love. No work of love will flourish out of guilt, fear, or hollowness of heart, just as no valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.” - Alan Watts

I’ve wanted to go back to my childhood home many times throughout my stay at my new home, The Dark Kingdom.

I mean I love my brothers deeply and am so thankful to have met Hailei, but it would be the little things, you know? Like... missing the warm sun that bounced off the temple’s stone structures. Or not having anyone truly enlightened around who could give you advice to your degree of thinking or higher. Or maybe the visits of tigers, who somehow kept peace with the monks. Or even just Master Gen... sometimes I’d run into an issue and thought of getting advice from him, but always remembered soon after that he... well I don’t know where he is or _how_ he is if I’m being honest.

Although I constantly missed this place throughout the past nine -almost ten- years of my life, the desire to visit was fully gone as I stepped through familiar pathways throughout the forest.

I felt two sides of me fight each other as I walked. One side wanted to stray away from everyone a few feet ahead, but the other wanted to hold Hailei’s hand in order to make her feel protected. The first side won, however, as I created a distance between the rest of the group and I.

Ever since we left to make our way to the Jingshen Temples, I’ve felt this stronger urge to protect Hailei. The reminder of my whole situation had made me anxious to let another one of my beloved people go in exchange for their duties. I mean, I’m supposed to protect the people I love! How could I have just ran away while the rest of the monks and students were all probably being burned alive? These thoughts were new to me for sure, but they also felt buried. Like a book in my bookshelf, never read before.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks.

I heard... people. Not the harsh vocals of any warriors, nor the casual tones of my friends behind me. Could it be?

I picked up the pace, soon running at full speed. My group called out for me and tried to keep up, but I didn’t look back for a second. They’re here, and they’re _okay._

I finally made it to the garden, which appeared to be well-kept and blooming with all kinds of beautiful flowers and vegetation. I skipped through the cleared path, knowing that the exit would soon show the former home that I know and love. The forest soon became less dense, sunlight showing more and more as I joyously looked around with awe. Finally, I peered out of the forest’s exit, and was hit by glorious rays of sun.

I laughed with pure happiness, wiping the tears from my eyes. I could hear the others running towards me in the distance, so I yelled behind me to tell them where I was. “I’m going to go and find Master Gen! I can’t believe this! They’re alive!” 

I look at the tall sandy-stone temples, light making it appear as if it were glowing. I heard children laughing, and monks talking among themselves. I didn’t hesitate to run along the side walls to see the stairs leading to the temples center. 

Children were playing tag and eating berries for afternoon snacks, while monks talked amongst themselves or meditated along the walls.

_I was home._

I waved to the children as they starred at me with odd expressions -mostly from my different appearance- and said hello to the monks who weren’t meditating. “Guru Bodhin! Monk Enkan! Master Horyu! It’s me, Adira! Remember me? I used to be a student here as a little kid!” I shout, and although startled at my sudden approach, loud voice, and different clothing, they were quick to smile and bow at me. “Oh, sweet Adira! What a strong young woman you have become!” Monk Enkan said, followed by a nod from Master Horyu. “Yes, you hold the spirit of a young tiger! I sense that one day you might become a master yourself!” I blush at the compliment, and bow back. “I’m overfilled with joy to see that you’re all okay! My friends and I are on a mission to defeat the Qiandga Warriors, and the map led us here!” I tell them, and although seemingly confused for a moment, the three all smiled and nodded calmly. “Ah, yes. Your old master, Master Gen, mentioned seeing you come here in the near future and desired to speak with you.” Guru Bodhin told me, making my face light up. “He’s alive!? Oh thank goodness. I’ve been worried sick for years...” I admit, and Master Horyu tilts his head. “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.” I sigh, giving him a small head nod. “You’re right, my apologies. It’s been awhile since I’ve practiced peace be enlightenment, I’ve strayed a long ways away.” I confess, but he just gives me an understanding smile in return.

“So... where _is_ Master Gen?” I asked, hearing my friends call for me in a panic as they finally found their way through the forest and up the stairs. “You’ll find him through your own directions. I believe you have friends to focus on at the moment, though.” Monk Enkan said, suggesting I turn to follow up with them. I nod, giving them another bow before turning around.

They all pant awhile hurrying up the stairs, soon walking toward me with both exhaust and relief.

“Adira don’t you ever run off like that again! You scared us and could have gotten seriously hurt!” Quirin shouted, voice shaking with worry and anger. I sighed, looking down at the ground.

“I know... I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. -But isn’t this great! Everyone’s okay! They must have survived the warrior’s attacks!” I say, smiling with joy and satisfaction. They all gave me strange and worried looks, however, and Quirin cleared his throat to speak up again. “Uh... what are you talking about?” He said, and then I started to get confused along with them. “These people are from my temple! This is my home, remember? I know everyone here!” I say, but then Quirin just starts to look scared. 

Hailei came up slowly, sadness and fear in her eyes. “What’s wrong, Hailei?” I ask, not sure why she was so distraught. Did me leaving them hurt her that much? I knew it! I should have stayed by her side and protected her! How could I be so stupid!?

“What people, Adira?” She asked, voice drowning with concern.

“Huh?”

“ _What people?_ ” she asked again, and suddenly the building’s walls and architectural designs started falling apart, ashes and fire burns scattering everywhere. Vines and vegetation grew across the floors and sides of the temples, and the sounds of children laughing started to fade away. I looked behind me to see the monks I just spoke to, but they too had disappeared.

Suddenly the sun didn’t seem so bright, and everything I had just found joy from was now gone or destroyed. Tears flowed down my face like a lonely river with no bigger body of water to look forward to. I fell to the floor, utterly lost in despair.


	22. The Dragon (The Heart Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira, Quirin, Hector, and Princess Lauralie join Hailei on her mission to defeat the Qiandga Warriors, pursuing her destiny as The Dragon. To gain all the powers needed to defeat them, however, she will need to collect all the chakra stones that are scattered all around the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edmund: 35  
> Ophelia: 34  
> Quirin: 17  
> Adira: 16  
> Laurie and Hailei: 15  
> Hector: 11

Quirin’s POV:

When I first met my little sister, I automatically knew we had a connection. Some could say it was because of our guardians’ similar fates, or even our small age gap, but I think otherwise.

I knew she was led to the Dark Kingdom -a place thousands of miles away- for a reason. It’s unclear what the pinpoint reason is at times, but I’m still confident that her purpose is special... and that she’ll do great wonders to this world.

It pained me to see her so torn over the loss of her home. I don’t know how or why she thought otherwise when she had first arrived, but that wasn’t the issue right now. The issue we should actually be focusing on right now is that Adira was on the floor of her destroyed home, angrily hitting the ground and swearing in a language I couldn’t even name. Her face was stained with tears, letting go of all the pent up emotions she held since she knew of this day’s possible fate.

Although we all rushed to swarm around her, Hailei made her way over first and leaned against her from behind. Even if we all knew Adira would never hit any of us, it was still best to distance ourselves from the front of her while she still managed to cope with her angry and torn-down emotions. “Adira, I’m so sorry... We’re going to take care of this together. I promise we will get justice for all that has been done here.” The tiny princess whispered to her, unsure if anything was actually going through to Adira at the moment. “She’s right, together we can end this invasion and prevent more temples from being destroyed. We can get revenge on all the people who did this. Sister, I know you’re upset and heartbroken, but you have _us_ now. We’re here for you, and we always will be!” I promised, rubbing a hand on her back. Adira still remained in the same condition, no changes made.

“Sister... I know you’re upset. It’s super scary when the people you love are gone. I wish I could make you happy again, but I don’t know how to. _Please_ let us help you.” Hector begged, fear for his sister lingering in his eyes.

Adira ducked out from our comforting wall we built behind her, standing and wiping her tears. She seemed as if she snapped out of the angry trance she was in, now just trying to get a hold of herself. “I’m okay, little brother. I don’t need help.” She said, but it was really hard to tell her emotions from the way she spoke. Although, I can say that it was clear she was trying her best not to sound upset at the boy.

“Let’s drop it for now, okay? We have a chakra to find.” Adira added on, and we all exchanged nervous looks. “But love, I don’t want to put your feelings to the side when the mission can wait.” Hailei admitted, carefully walking forward from the rest of us. Adira gave a forced laugh, “Hahaha! Oh little bird don’t be silly, I’m fine! Plus the world can’t be put on hold. Let’s get to it! I’ll get my book out so I can look for hints.” The white-haired teen playfully sat up on a wall, pulling out the book from her bag and turning to this mission’s page.

I wish I knew what to do in order to get her to talk or accept her feelings, but clearly that wasn’t going to happen right now. All the people she loved, all of her family she had before she left, we’re now all gone. That kind of situation doesn’t happen every day and I’m at a loss for how to approach it, so I’ll patiently wait for when she’s ready.

Adira’s POV:

I turned to the page I bookmarked earlier, reading our objectives out loud. I blinked, noticing the page after was torn halfway. “Uh, this page is torn. All it says is ‘The Heart. Energy of love, enemy of grief. Love from people who...’ then it stops. Well that’s fantastic! New mystery! We love that, don’t we!?” I say, trying to appear as happy and optimistic as possible to make up for that embarrassing scene I made earlier. I started to throw the book back into my bag as I stood, when Laurie spoke up. “UH, THAT’S A BIG CAT.” I looked up to see what she was talking about, as Hector squealed for joy. “A TIGER!!! I ALWAYS WANTED ONE AS A PET! QUIRIN CAN WE KEEP IT!?” The tiger stood at the stairs leading toward the next level, patiently staring at all of us. I got flashbacks to them laying out on the sun, cubs wrestling each other playfully in the grass. Quirin and the others, however, froze in fear. “Do we run!?” He whispered, and I casually walked forward. “Adira! Get back here! Oh my god!” My big brother commanded with fear in his tone, but I continued walking in the direction of the large feline.

The tiger skipped and hopped in my direction, rubbing his head on my side and licking my hand after I gave him a few pets. Quirin continued to have a heart attack, one arm ready to grab his sword while the other held an eager Hector by the back of his shirt and he dove for the big cat. 

“They’re friendly. They’d roam around the temples when I was a kid, leaving everyone unharmed.” I explain, but Quirin still seemed unsure. The tiger then gave some odd tiger-like meow (that honestly sounded more like a yawn to me) and turned to face the stairs that led to more levels. He continued to stop and look back at us after every two or three steps. “I think it wants us to follow him.” Hailei suggests, fear of the tiger now gone. I nod in agreement and start up the stairs. 

“A place where tigers don’t attack... okay, sure. Cool. I’m fine with this.” Quirin grumbled behind us as we all paced a few steps behind the mysterious animal.

We traveled through all the levels of the temple we were in, and I took the liberty to point to a few nostalgic spots when it didn’t hurt too much to talk about. 

“This room over here was where my master gave me secluded lessons... and the floor above us is where I’d sleep.” I said, following the tiger up the stairs. I took my time to look at what was left in the rooms, getting a mix of both comforting and nauseous feelings as I noted what was left and what wasn’t.

“Where are the beds?” Laurie asked as we passed the sleeping areas. I laughed under my breath, “Monks don’t sleep on beds, they sleep in meditation boxed. The kids sleep on those mats that are pushed into those corners over there.” I pointed to the now ragged and torn fabrics, waiting for their reaction. “Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable?” Laurie added onto her curiosity. “Some people slept on mats from where I came from too. The royal family had beds, but it’s a very normalized thing in Asian culture.” Hailei answered for me, and Hector peered into the room like the rest of us. “Sleeping on the ground isn’t so bad, but I do prefer beds.” He admitted, but I wasn’t sure if he was referring to camping earlier or the time he was abandoned during the first few years of his life.

The tiger interrupted my tour with a growl, implying that we continue following him. “Oh, right. Sorry.” I tell the tiger as I go back to following our odd new line leader.

We finally made it to the top of the temple, walking toward the highest room. “What’s this room?” Quirin asked, but I just shrugged. “I dunno. Children weren’t allowed up here and I’ve only seen masters up on this level. Feels weird being up here, I still feel like I have to sneak around.” The tiger then stopped at the two doors, sitting down and looking at me.

I tried to open the doors, but they wouldn’t budge. I tried again and again with as must strength as I could, but alas there was no hope. “Let me try maybe?” Quirin passed by me, giving the doors a hard tug with no success either.

“Try opening the doors with The Dragon.” A deep and unfamiliar voice suggested. We looked around to find the stranger who might have said that, but no one was around. Quirin and I got ready to draw our swords, “Who’s there!?” The eldest of the group called out with no response. “Down here.” The voice said again, and we all stared down at the tiger, still sitting near the doors. “You and The Dragon must open the doors _together_.” It said, and we all screamed in shock (minus Hector, who’s jaw just dropped to the floor in awe). “YOU TALK!?” Quirin said, pointing his sword out at the cat. “Yes, now get that thing out of my face and get on with your tasks.” It scoffed, making my brother blush. “Do all the tigers here secretly talk?” I ask, stepping forward to examine him. “No, but you have to open the do-“ “What’s it like being a tiger? Do you pounce on gazelles for fun!?” Hector interrupted. “Please, just open-“ “See my pet Archie!? He’s a weasel. Do you two understand each other? What’s he thinking!?” My little brother wiggles the small rodent in front of the tiger’s face, but it seemingly rolled its eyes. “No, I can’t understa-“ “DO A FLIP!” Laurie shouts, eagerly waiting for her odd request to be pulled through. “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! ADIRA! DRAGON! JUST OPEN THE DOOR!” He interrupted all of us, making everybody step back a notch. “Oh yeah, sorry.” I say, and Hailei comes up next to me to grab the right handle while I grab the left. We pull on three, opening the doors with no effort. 

Stepping inside, we all gasp in awe at the beautiful interior. It was like we were in space, all dark with the exception of twinkling lights scattered everywhere and glowing artifacts. “Mmm, reminds me of home.” Laurie hummed, twirling around the room with satisfaction on her face. “Light this crystal aflame, Dragon.” The tiger motioned to the pillar in the center of the room. “Uh... okay.” Hailei obeyed, lighting the crystal with her fire magic.

Suddenly the dark room’s ceiling projected beautiful images that looked as if we were looking at a portal through time. Mist filled the floors of the room, and a familiar voice started sounding from what seemed to be the crystal.

“The world was originally a place of peace, where violence wasn’t in existence. One day, however, the first act of violence occurred. The victim returned the favor, and that set a flame at continued to be fed throughout the many years of humanity.” The voice said as the ceiling showed images of early civilizations at peace, then eventually rioting and fighting with one another.

“There came an age where the world was at risk, so the universe birthed a being who held a high level of power. This power was enough to silence all wars of its generation. We called this being ‘The Dragon.’” The Dragon was shown destroying harmful armies, and setting things aflame. I glanced at Hailei, who’s eyes were wide in fear. I got closer and grabbed her hand to show her my support.

“But The Dragon was out of balance. It held all will for justice and violence in its heart, making it only desire flames that caused destruction and vengeance. Because of this, the universe created a being to live along side it by fate, who could teach it the powers of love, protection, empathy, and self-control.” Flashes of many generations of The Dragon showed a person beside them, showing them love and care. Now my eyes went wide, curious as to what the story was trying to tell us. Was this being... me?

“People aware of The Dragon to a higher degree recognized this reoccurring character. People with high spirituality skills were able to identify this being, assisting them to complete their fate of meeting. We called this being ‘The Dragon Tamer’ or simply ‘The Tamer.’ The one who balances The Dragon’s violent nature’s with love, support, and guidance.” As the past generations finished their showing on the ceiling, an image of Hailei and I showed. We all gasped, and look at one another with shock.

“To continue the ties and connections that the two beings held, The Tamer was given the gift of seeing past the barrier of the spirit world. Their ability to see spirits improves with time, and is easier when it is the spirits of whom they cared for before their passing. With deep meditation, they might access the full spirit world itself, giving the opportunities to explore the realms of the deceased.” The projected pictures showed The Tamers and their experiences with spirit connections, also showing myself, who was talking to the monks from earlier. “No way...” I say under my breath at a loss for all valuable words. “So you really did see all those people, huh?” Quirin added, giving a pretty spooked look. 

The flame died out, and the story-telling crystal ceased its presentation.

“That’s it!? What is all of this!?” I exclaim to the tiger, but he just got up from where he sat to stretch. “Congratulations, young warrior. You’re The Tamer. Your job is to protect The Dragon and provide her with love and hope... you’re not doing too bad of a job so far. Good job.” He explained, walking toward the doors and creaking it open with his muzzle. “Wait up! That’s it!? Where and how are we supposed to get the chakra?” I say, but the only thing the tiger said as he exited the door was “Not here, check the map again.” I gave a confused look and busted the door back open to ask the big cat more questions. To my surprise, he seemingly disappeared. 

“Aw man! I wanted to ask if I could ride on his back!” Hector kicked a rock while pouting.

“What does he mean about it not being here? The map said...” I stopped talking once I pulled out the map and saw the dot wasn’t in the temples anymore. However it didn’t disappear, it was relocated.

“Love? What is it?” Hailei asked gently, peering over from behind me.

“The chakras location on the map... _moves_.” I tell them, doubting my words from the disbelief. “Where is it now?” Laurie asked, walking over to me and taking a look at the map.

“...The Huo Empire’s Palace.”


	23. The Dragon (The Heart Pt. 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira, Quirin, Hector, and Princess Lauralie join Hailei on her mission to defeat the Qiandga Warriors, pursuing her destiny as The Dragon. To gain all the powers needed to defeat them, however, she will need to collect all the chakra stones that are scattered all around the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s been awhile, and sorry if there’s a lot of typos! It’s getting more and more challenging for me to write these chapters, so I might update once a week instead of every few days. I also might fit in chapters that aren’t a part of “The Dragon” series to get some more things up. Thanks for y’alls patience and support<3
> 
> Edmund: 35  
> Ophelia: 34  
> Quirin: 17  
> Adira: 16  
> Laurie and Hailei: 15  
> Hector: 11

Hailei’s POV:

I haven’t been home in nearly ten years. My memories of the palace and my first six years of life are limited, but I can still remember certain events, practices, feelings, and scents very well.

For instance, I get flashbacks to my mother lecturing me when my shoes fit too tight. I only started foot binding at age four, but even then the familiar pain of a crunched foot with no circulation gave me such vivid memories of Mother’s voice and repetitive sentences. “A princess should have tiny feet and skin as fair as a white rabbit.” “No princess should have the need to work in the sun or move around so much, I don’t want anyone to see you with big workers-feet or planters-skin.” She’d say, but I always thought of those traditions as quite unnecessary and odd. I mean, the idea of royalty was only created to help a certain amount of order remain in a society, right?

Besides the feeling of foot binding, scent of skin bleaching and harsh etiquette lessons, I did have some memories that were peaceful and joyous. Like the sounds of dogs playing out near the market, the feeling of mother combing my hair, or the scent of rose water that I applied every morning. Although it wasn’t nearly enough to make up for the cruel memories, I still held that loving feeling in order to link some kind of connection to my parents. Although I hate to admit that I don’t think I remember what either of them looked like. My mother was short like me, but had darker hair and a longer face. That’s it though, that’s all I can seem to recall. My father and I barley ever talked, but I did see him every day for dinner. I remembered that he always looked sad, tired, or angry, but I guess being an emperor will do that to you. If it weren’t for their fame, I definitely wouldn’t remember their names; But Niao-ka and Zhengqiu Huo were glued to the back of my head.

Even with our lack of connection, I want to believe that I love them. Many people see love in families as an unconditional thing, so I could at least try and maybe see them as people whom I connect with and cherish.

The flight to the palace wouldn’t be longer than a day’s worth, but Adira still had me park in a protected forest to camp. It made sense that an inn wouldn’t be ideal, as this part of the world was where the warriors were most prevalent.

I landed softly within the blanket of trees, and let them take their time to get off. Adira picked a good spot that was cleared of trees in the center, but was surrounded by walls of vegetation enough to keep us out of sight and out of way.

I helped unpack, start a fire, and place my sleeping bag on the ground. Quirin started dinner, while Hector convinces Laurie and Adira to play some game of chase. “Do you think they’re alive?” I say quietly as I sat on a log near the fire. Quirin looked up with a nervous expression. “Huh? Oh uh, I mean... I don’t know. I hope so, but it’s hard to say.” He said, obviously trying not to hurt my feelings while alway avoiding giving unstable promises. I stayed silent for awhile after that, then spoke again: “Is it bad that I don’t really remember them? My parents, that is.” 

Quirin stopped his stirring and placed a spoon on the side of the small pot. “I don’t think so. I can’t remember my dad all that much since he was always working. As for my mom, I don’t remember her at all. The only way I can even imagine what she looks like is from her locket. I brought it with her for good luck...” he started to say, digging into his bag and holding out a small locket to me. I gently take it and open it up, seeing a small but very detailed painting of a woman inside, smiling with her body facing the left but head facing me. “She seemed happy.” I say, then sigh. “Yeah my dad was always away too. I’m sorry you didn’t get to know your parents all that well. I have to say though, I’m shocked with how well you are with your younger siblings. I would have sworn you had the best parents in the world who gave you all the attention and care they had in them.” I handed him back the locket, and he smiled as he went back to stir the pot. “Thanks, I’m sorry about you parents as well. I think the big thing for me is that when you lose love, you can always guide it to someone new.” I pondered on that for a moment, then looked over at Adira, playfully tickling her little brother on the ground as a sign of victory. 

__________________________

Adira’s POV:

If we had a spot far from the others to talk, I would have tried to talk to Hailei in a much deeper manner. But I worked with what I had, and tried to understand her current state of mind in a much more hidden way. As we laid down for bed, I turned to the small girl and leaned over to whisper as quietly as possible. “How you are feelings, love?” She turned to me, pink lighting from the fire making her face glow. “I’m anxious, not sure if I can sleep. This mission is going to hit close to home... quite literally.” She whispered back, seeming too awake to sleep. “I know... I wish there was another way. I’ll be right by your side the whole time though, whatever happens I’ll be there for you.” I promised, brushing her hair with my fingers to help her go to sleep. She hummed, closing her eyes. “Thank you Adira, I know you will. It’ll be okay in the end I’m sure...” Hailei replied, trying to scoot closer for comfort. 

The crickets seemed to be very noisy, yet thankfully the sounds slowly died out as Archie hunted around the camp site. I wasn’t sure if Hailei was actually sleeping or not, but I eventually drifted off next to her, hand still in her hair.

I’m sure everything will be fine...

______________________________

Hailei’s POV:

As I flew for another three hours, I felt mixed emotions from looking down below me. I saw lots of healthy forests, plain fields, and small villages that seemed to be thriving. However, I also ran across lots of forest fires, destroyed villages, and swarms of warriors on the chase for god knows what. I flew high enough to remain hidden in the clouds when necessary, but the times that I did see those events were just heartbreaking. 

“We should arrive at the palace not too long from now.” Adira called out, so I headed straight. I recognized these forest’s and streets ahead of me... I wasn’t allowed to be out in the sun a lot, but I could definitely recall certain stops from my walks in the palanquin. I nervously swallowed, seeing more and more buildings ahead of me.

In the distance, you could make out the giant palace ahead. I started to tilt myself downward to land, trying to avoid people. Although when I searched for people to avoid, no one was there. I landed in a free area, and let everyone step down. 

“Where is everyone?” Hector asked while looking around.

I went back into my human form, and shrugged. “I don’t know... I guess we should go search around the palace then.” They all nodded in agreement, and let me lead the way. “This is weird, I always knew what the towns looked like here but I was never allowed to freely roam. I feel like I’m about to get scolded by my mother.” I laughed, trying to let go of the eerie tension the place held. The place was really quiet, but nothing was burned down or tampered with. I will say there would be a frequent rotting scent when we passed meat shops and a few items were scattered on the roads from the wind, but besides that everything was practically untouched.

We got closer to the palace, stopping before walking up the many stairs. “Thas a lot of steps to climb.” Hector said, but nonetheless hurried up the stairs with his usual child-like energy. I felt Adira’s hand grab mine, and we gave each other assuring looks before heading up the stairs.

The doors were gigantic and needed the force of both Adira and Quirin to pry them open. When we made our way inside, it was silent like the towns were. “So... where do we go first?” Adira wondered while Laurie looked around in awe. “This place is beautiful! Look at all the gold furniture!” She squealed, dragging Quirin behind her to observe the interior designs. “I guess the throne room? If my parents were to be anywhere, they’d be there or their bedroom.” I suggested, leading the way down all the halls.

It turn quite a few rights and lefts down the maze-like palace, but we managed to make it through. We also noticed an odd smell lingering in the halls, growing stronger as we kept walking. “What _is_ that?” Hector said, covering his face with his hand. “I don’t know. I never remembered rotting smells when I was a child. It’s probably rotten food.” I assured him, finally seeing the throne rooms doors. “I sure hope they’re in here... if not then we can maybe try and find the source of that smell. I’m beginning to get nauseous.” I added, gently holding the door’s handles. 

I carefully pull the doors open with everyone behind me, only to scream in terror. Sooner or later, everyone except for Adira booked it for a corner or plant to vomit in. The white haired girl seemed to just stare in shock, then disgust.

I don’t know how long it takes for what seems to be hundreds of bodies to decompose, but all I know is that the only thing keeping them identifiable was what they wore. The scent of rotting flesh filled the halls, but none of us could bare to move from emptying our stomachs. Adira, however, managed as she stepped forward and shut the doors.

The only thing I could point to for my odd lack of response right now would be shock. I couldn’t bear to believe that the pile in that room was dead bodies, nor could I believe that I saw familiar royal gowns on the two at the top. Although I only saw what I did for a few seconds, it just kept replaying over and over in my mind. “What kind of _sick game_ is this!?” I violently sob, unable to move my shaking body from the floor. The scent felt like it just kept getting stronger and stronger... my head felt dizzy and the sun seemed to fade faster and faster. Sooner or later, I felt half of my body hit the floor, while the other was caught by someone’s hands.

_________________________

Adira’s POV:

I’ve seen a lot of crazy and upsetting things in my life, but this was by far the worst of it. For some reason a destroyed city was less scary that a completely untouched one, where there were hundreds of dead bodies with no trace of murder evidence. Hailei has collapsed on the ground, and it seemed as if the others would have too if they didn’t leave the area. I picked up the lifeless girl, and ushered the others out to the furthest bedroom from the throne room.

Laurie sobbed at the traumatic event she just witnessed, while Quirin just held her and Hector’s hand through the halls, face distressed and lost in thought. Hector also held a similar expression, but his appeared more fearful as he dug out his stuffed rhino to hold it to his chest. His weasel, Archie, cuddled around his neck in a supportive manner. 

I laid Hailei down on the bed, and gently placed a thin blanket over her. “She should come-to in maybe a few minutes, but I’m not exactly sure. Let’s just... try and get our minds off of everything we just saw.” I suggested, trying to find a way to ease their stress and fear from the earlier scene. “We’re those dead people?” Hector finally spoke up, looking up at his big brother to show his need for his protection. “Uh... I’m afraid so little brother. It’s okay though! We’re safe! I’m sure the people who did that are long gone!” He gave a forced smile, but Hector saw through his mask and gave a more distressed look. “I’m scared.” He simply said, sitting next to Quirin to lean against him. Our oldest sibling sighed, and threw an arm around him while his other hand rubbed circles on Laurie’s back, who was curled up, softly crying on the bed. “We’re going to be okay you two. We didn’t see any enemies on our way here, and there are too many rooms for them to just find us before we’d know ahead of time. Try and sleep it off for just awhile until we can wrap our heads around the situation better.” He suggested. 

Laurie complied as she grabbed a free pillow, and laid back down on Quirin’s lap so he could play with her hair to comfort her. As for my little brother, he just sat in the arm chair while he played with his rhino’s ears under another thin blanket. 

“Adira... are you going to sleep?” Quirin asked, looking up at me as I hovered over Hailei. “No... Hailei’s been asleep for almost an hour. That’s not normal.” I said, checking her pulse for the seventh time since we got here. She was still breathing and her heart was still beating, but there was still something wrong. “Then what can we do?” He questioned, carefully lifting Laurie’s head so he could walk over to pick up our sleeping Hector and place him on the bed for a better surface. I shrugged, sitting in the chair Hector was just in. “I don’t know... maybe she’s just sleeping it off?” I say, anxiously pulling out the book. “I hope the map didn’t move again...” I mumble, checking both the map and the chapter for this mission. “Is the map different?” Quirin asked, and I shake my head. “Nope. But huh, I didn’t notice this before. The book says Hailei’s Solar Plexus power can take her to the spirit world. Maybe... do you think she’s there?” I peered over toward him, but he just looked lost. “Uh, I don’t know. I don’t know anything about all that spirit stuff like you so.” I thought for a moment, then set the book aside. “If the temple’s legend was true, then I could try and visit the spirit world and see if I can find her.” I say, getting up and heading for the door. “I... what? What are you doing exactly? You need to stay in here where it’s safe.” Quirin protested. “There’s a small temple next to the palace and I’m going to go and meditate there for better hope to reach the spirit world. I’m sure it’s safe, don’t stress about me. Worry about your girlfriend and brother instead.” I assure him with a smile, closing the door on him before he could argue with me.

________________________

I made my way into the empty temple, sitting on a mat in the center of the cleared floor. Meditation care easy to me in stressful moments, but the tricky part was finding out how to enter the spirit world.

I sat in silence, thinking of absolutely nothing for what felt like hours.

Nothing...

Nothing.....

Nothing.......

“You do know you can open your eyes here, right?” An old yet familiar voice said. I peered an eye open to the odd intruder of the temple, only to realize I wasn’t in the temple at all. I was in a realm of light and bright colors, temperatures warm like the perfect sunny day. I look up at the man in front of me, who smiled with his hands behind his back. 

“Ah, there you are little tiger.” He smiled, and my heart stopped beating.

“MASTER GEN!!!” I screamed, jumping up from my sitting position and charging for him. I wrapped my arms around him for a tight hug, and he barked out his classic laugh, hugging back. “I knew you’d find your destinies just fine.” He said, leaning back from the embrace.

“I... I can’t believe it! It’s been so long! I missed you...” I gasped, slightly out of breath from the shock. “I’m never far, young one.” He assured me, putting a kind hand on my shoulder.

“So... is Hailei here? The others said you had to talk to me. What do I do next?” I ask everything that was on my mind, but he just laughed at my eagerness. “Slow down, a proper river only has one stream ahead. Find your stream... what is first? What does the present call for?” Master Gen asked me.

I blinked. “I mean, finding Hailei?” I say, but he shook his head. “Good try, but you are not prepared to find her yet. You need to be aware of a higher understanding. You cannot help her obtain the chakra if you are not ready to obtain it yourself. You five kids are all linked more than you think.” He said, moving to sit on a nearby white bench. I sit next to him, showing my willingness to learn.

“You are all on the path to find The Heart chakra. This chakra is accessed by love, but blocked with grief. As humans it is natural to grieve when the ones we love are taken away from us. However, you can not obtain the heart chakra if you do not find the ability to move on. Moving on from losing loved ones isn’t forgetting them or letting go of your love for them, but rather you moving that love into someone new...” “Hailei?” I answered his unasked question, and he nodded. “That is correct, Adira. You and Hailei have both lost all your original family and loved ones. This is a very challenging situation that can make you feel alone and lost. However, you and The Dragon are meant to bounce off of one another. You can form the love you had for your lost loved ones, and move it in between one another. Love from people who have passed away are reformed in the shape of new love. That is how you access The Heart chakra.” He finished, looking out into the fields of color and light. 

“I see... so... I find Hailei and...?”

“Show her what it means to love and be loved; to let go of the ones who have passed and to make that love into something new.”

“Thank you, Master Gen. I think I should go find her now... I’ll miss you.” I stand, bowing to him. “I am not as far as you think, Adira. Soon enough you will master this state, and will be able to seek my advice anytime throughout life.” He smiled, bowing back at me.

I smiled back, and ran off to find Hailei.

There were many colorful streets that held happy, peaceful people. I kept asking strangers if they might have seen a girl fitting Hailei’s description, but I had no luck. As I met the end of one of the roads, however, I saw two adults talking to a figure that looked a lot like her.

“Hailei!” I shout, running to her. 

“Adira! How’d you get here? Did you... die?” She gulped, and I shook my head. “No! I can travel to the spirit world, remember?” She looked relieved. “I’m glad you’re okay, what happened to me? Am I dead?” I shook my head again. “No, you’re just unconscious in one of the guest rooms. The Solar Plexus gave you the powers to enter the spirit world. Oh! My apologies! Are these your parents?” I interrupt myself, looking at the man and woman behind her. I blushed, I must have interrupted their conversation. “Yes, we are. It’s nice to meet you young Adira.” The woman bowed, and I bowed back at them as well. “It’s wonderful to meet you as well.” I smiled, and Hailei seemed happy at our pleasant interaction. “I really hate to interrupt, but she and I need to get back. We’re uh, saving the world and all.” I add, and the two adults nod to show their understanding. “Wait, um... do you think we could wait awhile?” Hailei asked, seeming off. “Huh? I uh, well I mean the others are waiting and everything and...” I started to say, confused at her odd response. “I know, I know. It’s just... can I talk to you somewhere private?” She said, and I took the hand she held out for me and let her lead the way to a tree far from everyone.

“What’s going on little bird?” I say, showing a concerned look for her. “I don’t think I want to go back.” She said, and my heart felt as if I stopped beating.

“Wait, what? Hailei we have to go back! You have a whole life ahead of you and there’s a world to save!” I said, words pilling on top of each other. She started to look guilty, “You’re absolutely right... but... my whole family is here! And if I’m here then all the pressures of my life would go away! And! And!” She started to sob, making me panic. “Hey! Hailei! It’s okay! No no no don’t cry!” I said, kneeling down to the short girl. “I know it’s selfish but I finally am around my family and friends who love me and understand me!” Hailei cried out, and I understood a deeper meaning toward her tears. 

“I know how you feel, Hailei. I know this is hard. Everyone from my first home are here too, and it’s tempting to stay here where everyone is happy and _here_ instead of a world where there are disasters and losses and pain... but you still have a family who _needs you_ down there.” I said, and she looked up. “What do you mean?” The short girl sniffled. “Hailei, _I’m_ your family. Quirin and Hector and Laurie are your family. We all love you and need you. Not only that, but the whole world needs you. If you go back and help stop the invasions, families won’t have to be separated by death from them anymore. I know it feels like all your love has vanished because everything you started from is gone, but that’s not true at all. Your love is still alive, you’re just looking in the wrong places. Where is your love now, Hailei?”

She thought for a long while, then took a really deep breath. “My Love is with you.” Hailei smiled, looking into my eyes. 

“Hailei dear, is everything alright?” A woman’s voice said. Hailei’s parents had come to check up on us. “Oh! Yes. Adira and I had to do a lot of thinking, and although I’d love to spend more time with you two and the rest of my family and friends... I need to go back and be with my new family on earth.” She sighed with a sad smile. Her parents exchanged a look, then smiled at her with love in their eyes. “We understand. We’re both so proud of you, Hailei. You’re going to do great things.” The father said, and she was soon in between the two adults’ arms, giving each other one last hug before departing once more. “I think you’re going to need this.” Her mom said, pulling out the green chakra. Hailei and I’s faces glowed with excitement and shock. She took the chakra, and it seemed to glow brighter and brighter, engulfing both Hailei and I. 

___________________________

My eyes shot open, seeing the temples walls around me.

I was back on earth!

I ran out of the temple and went up the many stairs. Luckily I remembered the room everyone else was in, and burst through it’s door.

Hailei was sitting up in the bed, talking amongst the others. “You’re back!” She said, happy to see me. “So are you!” I say, running to her side to hug her.

“I’m glad you’re both okay... I was getting worried.” Quirin said, but he still seemed content with the amount of time we were gone.

“So what was the spirit world like?” Laurie asked, and Hailei and I exchange a look. “Hmm... I don’t want to spoil everything for you, but I will say it’s very peaceful and happy.” Hailei recalled, ignoring Laurie’s protests for more information.

“Were there any animals there?” Hector asked, and I ruffled the kid’s hair. “Yes, little brother. There were.” He seemed relived and really happy with that answer, then went back to petting Archie on the chair.

“Let’s sleep here until the morning... our next trip is really far.” Quirin insisted, fixing up the bed. I nodded, “That’s right, we should also find lighter clothes. It’ll be on an island in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.”


End file.
